4 Orioles players we'll be glad are gone in 2024 and 1 we will wish stayed

The Orioles did well with the guys they decided to let leave this offseason for the most part.
Division Series - Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game Two
Division Series - Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game Two / Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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It was time for Baltimore to move on from Adam Frazier

Adam Frazier's days of being a key part of a lineup have been over for a while now. He was an All-Star in Pittsburgh and is widely respected across the league as a clubhouse leader and very tough out at the plate. However, his tenure with the Orioles was extremely mediocre (.696 OPS in 455 plate appearances) and, given where Baltimore is as a team, he would be a waste of a roster spot.

For a team that is transitioning or rebuilding, a player like Frazier is very solid. That is why the Royals snatching him up for $4.5 million makes a load of sense, as they are just trying to piece things together over there while they wait for help from the minors. However, the Orioles are the defending AL East champions with a metric ton of high-end position player prospects on the way. If there was an emergency situation at the trade deadline, then sure, but Frazier would just be taking a spot away from a guy that has more upside if the Orioles kept him.

Jorge Lopez should not be missed by the Orioles

The Orioles entered the offseason needing pitching badly, so the bar to be kept around was already pretty low. The bullpen in particular was hurting, with Bautista on the shelf and the rest of the group's contributions being incredibly speculative. That is why it was very telling that the Orioles designated Jorge Lopez for assignment at the end of September, ending his tenure with his THIRD team of the season.

It is hard to throw a fastball as hard as Lopez does, and for said fastball to be as bad as it was in 2023. His changeup is more reasonable, but it is clear that he isn't anywhere close to the guy he was with Baltimore in 2022 when he made the All-Star Game. His raw stuff was good enough for the Mets to sign him this offseason and hopefully that will keep the Orioles from making the mistake of trying to bring him back for a third time.

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