Orioles fill 2 key needs as Winter Meetings are set to begin

The Orioles had four positions to fill this offseason, and the night before the Winter Meetings begin in Dallas, they reached agreements on two of them.

First, they agreed to a three-year contract worth $49.5 million with an opt-out after 2025 with outfielder Tyler O’Neill. And then, again according to a report by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, they reached agreement on a one-year, $8.5 million contact with veteran catcher Gary Sánchez.

While the Orioles are still looking for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher and for experienced relief help, they replaced two of their most popular players — outfielder Anthony Santander and catcher James McCann, both of whom are free agents.

Santander, who hit 44 home runs and won a Silver Slugger, is expected to sign a contract worth more than the one O’Neill agreed to while Sánchez, who has played for five teams since 2021, can back up Adley Rutschman and allow 20-year-old Samuel Basallo to develop at Triple-A Norfolk to begin 2025.

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Orioles remain interested in last season’s top starter, Corbin Burnes, but are eschewing other top-shelf starters who rejected $21.05 million qualifying offers.

Signing Max Fried, Sean Manaea and Nick Pivetta would require the Orioles to surrender a draft choice, something that executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias reportedly is reluctant to do

Elias did send a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick the Orioles received when Gunnar Henderson won the American League Rookie of the Year award to Milwaukee along with infielder Joey Ortiz to obtain Burnes.

Rosenthal reports the Orioles would prefer 34-year-old Nathan Eovaldi, who has extensive experience pitching in the American League East, or 29-year-old Jack Flaherty, who pitched for them in the last two months of the 2023 season, because signing them won’t require the Orioles to surrender their third-highest draft pick.

The Orioles also could use the Winter Meetings to assess the Chicago White Sox’s asking price for right-hander Garrett Crochet, who is under club control for two more seasons.

Last month, the Orioles parted ways with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe and right-hander Jacob Webb, and they’ll be looking for relievers to replace them.

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