4 external options the Orioles could pursue to replace Kyle Bradish and John Means to start the season

Trevor Bauer is still a free agent

Trevor Bauer has made it known that he wants to return to the major leagues and he would love to play for the Orioles. I have previously discussed the idea of the Orioles signing Bauer, acknowledging the legal implications. Because of that I will not be going any further into his legal matters or reputation in this article, but will instead be looking strictly at Bauer the player.

There's no denying that Bauer has been very successful as a pitcher in the majors. He led baseball in 2020 with a 1.73 ERA, a 284 ERA+, and had baseball's lowest WHIP (0.795) and H/9 (5.1) while pitching two shutouts in only 11 starts. His 2021 season was also going very well when it was cut short. After being out of baseball in 2022, Bauer signed to play with the Yokohama Bay Stars of the Japanese Central League.

Bauer went 11-4 with two complete games and a 2.59 ERA in 24 appearances for the Bay Stars. His numbers for the season were very comparable to his teammate Shōta Imanaga, who signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. Bauer has said that he is willing to play for the league minimum ($740,000) because he just wants a chance to compete.

Orioles fans have learned to have faith in the reigning MLB executive of the year and we know that whatever Elias does is probably the decision that's best for the team. I look forward to what this season brings. Let's go O's.