Orioles’ offseason pursuit just got an assist from the Dodgers deal for Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker finally picking a team didn’t just end the offseason’s loudest bidding war — it may have also done the Baltimore Orioles a favor.

Once a real middle-of-the-order monster comes off the board, the league stops multitasking. Tucker landing a four-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers basically ends the last “big bat” bidding war and yanks every front office back to the need to find pitching.

For Baltimore, that timing matters because the Orioles have been operating like a team that knows it’s one legit starter short of turning into a legitimate contender.

The Dodgers' deal for Kyle Tucker may have quietly opened the door for the Orioles' next big move

Mike Elias and the Orioles have already checked some meaningful boxes. They added impact and depth in multiple lanes, including a headline free-agent splash for Pete Alonso and a rotation-related move for Shane Baz, plus other pitching support like keeping Zach Eflin around. 

That’s a front office acting like the window is open and the AL East is going to be a street fight. But it also sets up the obvious next step: you don’t build an October roster by almost having enough starting pitching. You build it by having a guy at the front who can take the ball in Game 1 and make everyone else play from behind.

For Baltimore, that shift can cut both ways. The bad news is simple: once the last elite bat is off the board, more teams are free to pile into the starter market, which can crank up the competition and the price. But the good news is the pitching market should finally start moving, because the league can’t hide behind the “we’re still waiting on the hitter market” alibi anymore. Either way, the Orioles should welcome the chaos because standing still is the one thing they can’t do.

The Orioles have been tied to legit names, including Framber Valdez, and they’ve at least been connected to the kind of pitchers that are called a “top-of-the-rotation” type arm.  

But there’s always the question of: “Do they really want to pay for the ace, or do they want to convince us they tried?” That’s the entire winter vibe in Baltimore. But the opportunity is still sitting right there now. With the big bat money spoken for, the market’s remaining pressure is going to squeeze pitching decisions forward. The Orioles just need to make sure they finish the offseason strong. 

Because if they're truly serious about making the New York Yankees and everyone else sweat in October, the next move can’t be another “nice add.” It has to be the add that tells the clubhouse they’re not hoping for the playoffs, they’re planning for them.