The Baltimore Orioles missed the playoffs yet again this season, despite the team putting together a solid offseason.
Baltimore will now be entering a crucial winter, with the front office needing to address all sorts of areas across the roster going forward. But one of the more pressing issues has to be within the starting rotation, which let the team down again.
This Orioles team has a lot of talent on the roster, but the pitching just hasn’t been able to get the job done. Due to this, it could see the Baltimore front office look to make more moves this winter, adding some talent within the starting rotation.
Orioles Linked to Ace
One name that could make sense for the Orioles is veteran right-hander Michael King, who has spent the last few seasons with the San Diego Padres. King will be entering free agency this offseason after putting together a strong run for San Diego.
MLB analyst and writer Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report linked King to the Orioles, listing them as a landing spot. Baltimore could use the services of the right-hander, helping to bolster the rotation going forward.
“Notably, the Orioles have their own marquee arm hitting free agency in the form of Trevor Rogers. If they want to sign a guy who could start on Opening Day, they are quite familiar with one who already did so for them this season.
“But they need to do something significant about this starting rotation, lest they sputter to yet another sub-.500 season with Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson on the roster…Even accounting for projected arbitration salaries, they’re currently looking at a payroll at least $30M below their Opening Day payroll in each of the past two seasons—which is roughly what we expect Michael King’s AAV to be,” Miller wrote.
With the Padres, King headed up a rotation that had all sorts of inconsistency throughout the season, but he stayed the course. King was one of the few stable presences for San Diego during the year, and he helped them get into the playoffs.
For the season, the right-hander posted a 3.21 ERA over 32 starts, throwing 185.0 innings for the Padres. The veteran was even better in the playoffs, recording a 0/64 ERA over three appearances (two starts) for this team.
Should Orioles Make This Move?
If King is available this offseason, the Orioles should look to make a run at him. King has immense talent, and he could become the team’s new ace for the future.
With the Orioles’ goal to get back to the playoffs and do damage once there, they are going to need someone like King to head up the rotation. King could help stabilize this group, giving Baltimore a legitimate No. 1 option moving forward.
Overall, the right-hander has earned the right to enter free agency, and after his strong year, King is expected to be paid. The Orioles could be one of the best landing spots for the veteran right-hander, and this potential move could help this team get back to the postseason.
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