4. Joc Pederson, DH, Arizona Diamondbacks
Although fans have grown fond of Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O'Hearn, they simply have not been good enough this year. Despite being tagged as a power hitter, Mountcastle has endured a noticeable drop in power, going from 33 home runs in 2021 down to 22, 18, and only 13 in 2024. With respect to O'Hearn, while he enjoyed a strong start to the season, he has been ice cold of late and his 13 home runs and .739 OPS leave a lot to be desired at 1B/DH.
The 32-year-old Pederson, however, continues to mash. After signing a one-year, $9.5M contract with Arizona, Pederson is hitting .271 with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .914 OPS. Pederson could be an interesting replacement for O'Hearn if the Orioles choose to keep Mountcastle at first, as Pederson has been worth 2.8 WAR this year, his best since 2019 with the Dodgers.
The Orioles could also pursue Mets' DH J.D. Martinez, but Martinez's numbers - 16 home runs and a .735 OPS - are not much better than what the O's already have.
Contract Prediction: 2 years, $26M
3. Max Fried, LHP, Atlanta Braves
Fried has been a stalwart in the Braves' rotation since 2017, pitching in 19 total postseason games, and winning a World Series in 2021. However, some executives believe he is ready to move on. Fried is 9-10 with a 3.49 ERA this year but has pitched like an ace on multiple occasions. In 2022, Fried went 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA and finished second in the NL Cy Young voting (he also finished fifth in 2020). A three-time gold glover and three-time All Star, Fried would slot in perfectly atop the Orioles' rotation with Rodriguez and Eflin.
A quick note on Corbin Burnes, whom I predict the Orioles will allow to walk this offseason. If the numbers were the same, the Orioles would likely re-sign Burnes over Fried. Fried is a few months older than Burnes and his numbers, while strong, are a notch below Burnes'. However, many have predicted Burnes to sign a $300M contract which, given his recent struggles and downward trend, would be too much of a risk.