Orioles free agency update: Teoscar Hernandez, Max Fried, Corbin Burnes

The Orioles are getting down to business as we're already into the thick of hot stove season. Rumors are swirling and it's a nice change of pace to have the O's included in the list of teams targeting the top free agents in this year's class.

While the probability of Juan Soto winding up in Baltimore is low, the O's have been connected to a number of the top pitchers and hitters. All signs point toward Mike Elias having the budget flexibility he needs to get the job done, which is a major change from how this team had been operating under John Angelos over the past several years.

One major hole that the O's need to fill is in right field, now that Anthony Santander is likely headed elsewhere. Teoscar Hernandez has quietly been on the list of potential replacements for several weeks now, but MLB's Jon Morosi officially confirmed that the Orioles are interested in adding the former Dodgers' outfielder.

If the Orioles do sign Hernandez, they'll have to cough up a draft pick to do so thanks to the qualifying offer he received from LA. It'll be a tough price to pay but Hernandez has been really consistent over the past few years, outside of the 2023 season he spent in the dead zone out in Seattle.

One potential problem is that if Hernandez were to come to Baltimore, that deep left field wall could pose problems for Hernandez's right handed power. The O's have the deepest left field in baseball with their redesigned outfield dimensions and it's sapped power from a number of O's hitters since it was implemented.

The O's need a right handed bat, but Hernandez might not play as well at Camden Yards as some of us might hope.

The Orioles have been active to start the 2024-2025 offseason

In addition to Hernandez, the Orioles have also reportedly been connected to former Braves' starter Max Fried. Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that all three of the Orioles, Red Sox, and Blue Jays are interested in the left hander, and the final price point to acquire him will likely be significant.

While the O's would really love to add a top of the rotation type arm to work ahead of Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez, the Red Sox are desperate for pitchers and could go above and beyond the asking price to acquire Fried.

Regardless of who they end up targeting, if the Orioles want to nab one of the top starting pitchers this winter they're going to have to pay a hefty price.

While there's been no official news about former Orioles' righty Corbin Burnes, he's been connected to the Dodgers as a potential fit for their inconsistent rotation. Walker Buehler is likely leaving LA in free agency this winter and Clayton Kershaw is going back under the knife to address a knee and lower leg injury.

Yes, Shohei Ohtani is expected to be ready to pitch on Opening Day, and they also have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in the rotation. However, the latter two both failed to pitch a full season in 2024. Glasnow has never stayed healthy for a full year and was unavailable in the playoffs this October. And Yamamoto has tons of upside but was inconsistent in his first major league season.

While the Dodgers have other holes they'll be working to address this winter, it wouldn't be unrealistic to suggest that they could go out and corner the market by adding Burnes on a long term deal. He'd fit right into their video game style lineup and they certainly have enough money to make the move, if they want to.