Would a No. 1 starter have turned around Orioles’ season? | MAILBAG

Question: If the O’s signed any of the top free-agent pitchers — Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez, Framber Valdez — would the team results been any better?

Cease was signed so quickly that they never really had a chance, but Toronto struggled, same as the O’s.  Suárez had a nice season with Boston, but not sure he was a No. 1. Valdez seemed just okay and Detroit also disappointed this season. From: Phil Cooke 

Answer: Phil, I think you’re correct that none of those pitchers would have made much of a difference in the Orioles’ standing. Cease did have an excellent season, but if the Orioles had him, how would that changed the configuration of the rotation?

Would they have still signed Chris Bassitt? Would Brandon Young have gotten as many opportunities to start as he did?

Perhaps they would have been a couple of games closer to the playoffs, but their most important failing was their position players failing to produce offensively and their 88 unearned runs allowed, most in the majors.

Question: I have a question about a possible lockout next season. What happens to player contracts? Do teams lose a year of the player control or does time stand still and contracts are frozen in place for that year? From: Mark Hewitt

Answer: Mark, the answer to your question, and to many others about the possible lockout is, we’ll have to see.

If the 2027 season is lost, and it won’t be, then Pete Alonso, for example, who’s on a five-year contract, would have three years remaining on his deal instead of four.

As for team control and loss of service time heading to free agency, that’s all to be negotiated. For many years, a player has needed six years to qualify for free agency, but MLB has proposed allowing free agency after five years

We don’t know if the current system will be overhauled and if time will be lost next season. Once there’s a deal, then we’ll know the parameters of the free-agency system.

I wish I could give you a better idea of what will happen, but that may be many months away.

 Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.