MLB insider thinks Orioles could be poised to make a lot of noise in free agency

While this year’s free agent class won’t have the same kind of star power as some years prior, there will be plenty of impact players available who could come in and make an immediate impact for any team in baseball. The Baltimore Orioles have traditionally avoid

However, this offseason is shaping up, at least so far, to be a very different sort of vibe.According to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand, the Orioles should be in the mix for plenty of free agents including those at the very top of the market.

MLB insider thinks Orioles could be players for some of next offseason's biggest free agents

In a new story highlighting the players who could be at the top of this winter’s free agency class, Feinsand listed the Orioles as a good fit for Kyle Schwarber, Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease. 

While all three players have their warts, they’re all impact major leaguers who are helping impact winning on contending teams this year. They’re the classic kind of “Tier Two” free agent behind Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, who were ranked as the top two free agents on Feinsand’s list. 

Schwarber was listed as the No. 3 free agent on the list, and for good reason. He entered play on Wednesday with a National League-leading 45 home runs to go along with 110 RBI, which leads all of baseball. He’s the definition of a three true outcomes player, but this year is some of his finest work.

That said, Schwarber not a perfect fit. He’s going to be 33 at the start of next season and is a full-time designated hitter, which puts limitations on his fit in the lineup alongside his fit into the Orioles’ contention window. But he’d also provide them some much needed power. After having Anthony Santander lead the way with 44 home runs last year, no Oriole has hit more than 16 home runs this season.  

Valdez and Cease would fill the impending holes in the team’s rotation. Along with having two impending free agents in Tomoyuki Sugano and Zach Eflin, the Orioles could be without Grayson Rodriguez for parts of next year due to a right elbow injury. 

Valdez could be the perfect person to pick up the pieces. He has a 3.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings this year, which is right in line with his career ERA of 3.30. He’s been an above-average pitcher in each of the last five seasons, and was an All-Star in 2023 and ‘24. 

The same can be said for Cease, who is the youngest player of the three mentioned. While he’s in the midst of the worst season of his professional career (4.82 ERA), he’s received Cy Young votes in two separate seasons and was the American league runner-up for the award in 2022 while he was with the Chicago White Sox. 

Regardless as to whether or not any of these three end up with the Orioles, Feinsand’s story is another reminder of how busy this winter could be in Baltimore. Along with having some players of their own who could end up becoming mainstays in the rumor mill, there should be no shortage of buzz around them and some of the impact players who could be available through free agency or the trade market.

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