3 moves the Orioles must make following a stellar Winter Meetings showing

It is safe to say that things for the Baltimore Orioles escalated very quickly at the Winter Meetings this year. As expected, the Orioles were connected to Framber Valdez and other top free-agent starters, and there was a lot of chatter around a potential Edward Cabrera trade with the Marlins. However, few thought that Baltimore would snag Pete Alonso at all, let alone before the Winter Meetings came to an end.

By any measure, the Winter Meetings have to be considered a rousing success. The Orioles had already secured Ryan Helsley to bolster the bullpen and traded for Taylor Ward. Now, they have just added one of the best pure power hitters in all of baseball. However, Baltimore still has work to do to get their roster ready for Opening Day, so here are the moves it should make next.

Here are the 3 moves the Orioles should make now that they have won the Winter Meetings

There is going to be a certain amount of common sense exercised here. Would it be sick if Baltimore went out and signed Kyle Tucker and traded for Francisco Lindor? Sure, that would be fun...but that (probably) isn't going to happen. We know that the Orioles need arms, and we know they have some money to spend this offseason, so our moves will reflect those realities.

Sign Ranger Suarez

Essentially, the choice for Baltimore this offseason comes down to the top two lefties on the market in Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez. Both have been reliable sources of innings the last few years, and both would be fine additions to the Orioles' very shallow rotation. However, Suarez is likely to come a bit cheaper and is a couple of years younger than Valdez. Combine that with some of the character concerns that will inevitably follow Valdez, and it feels like signing Suarez to a five-ish year deal is the next logical step for Baltimore this offseason.

Trade Ryan Mountcastle for bullpen depth

Ryan Mountcastle's trade value has certainly taken a hit over the last couple of years, but the guy still has real raw power and true offensive upside from the right side. He might not get as big a trade return as fans would hope, given the relative lack of team control, but the Orioles should still find a team willing to throw in a couple of relievers for him. Not only would it give them some much-needed bullpen depth, but it would also help clear the roster logjam a bit that has only gotten worse after the acquisitions of Alonso and Ward.

Trade for Edward Cabrera

The Orioles' offense is in a decent spot, and if Baltimore is right and both Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday take steps forward next season, the offense is going to be in really good shape. However, the Orioles might be an AL East favorite if they get an Edward Cabrera trade across the finish line. In this hypothetical world, that would give Baltimore a rotation of Trevor Rogers, Ranger Suarez, Kyle Bradish, Cabrera, and then they can play around with the fifth spot to see which internal option(s) stick. Such a trade would probably cost Baltimore Coby Mayo and other top talent, but that could be a blessing, as there is only so much playing time to go around anyway.