5 dream free agents the Orioles should target this offseason

2. Anthony Santander, RF, Baltimore Orioles

In their list of the top 50 free agents, The Athletic calls Anthony Santander "the most underrated free agent in this class." The real question is whether the 2024 version of Anthony Santander - who has mashed 41 home runs and has an OPS over .800 - is the version that we will see for the next few years. Santander has been trending up the last few seasons: his OPS has increased every year since 2022, and his home run totals of the last three seasons - 33, 28, and 41 - show that even if Santander does not hit over 40 every year, he is a good bet to reach 30 home runs. His hard hit rates of 43.3%, 56%, and 42.4% the last three years are positive too.

While many other suitors will line up to try and snag the 29 year-old, the Orioles would be smart to at least try to keep Tony Taters in Baltimore.

Contract Prediction: 5 years, $100M

1. Juan Soto, New York Yankees, RF

It's rare that a player as good and as young as Juan Soto hits the free agent market. Recent examples include Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, though Soto is better than both. His accolades speak for themselves: a career .954 OPS, two seasons above 7 WAR, and again, he is only 25. While the idea of Soto in orange and black seems far fetched, these are not the Angelos-owned Orioles anymore. At least one well-respected baseball journalist has floated the idea, and the addition of Soto would have the added bonus of stealing him from the rival Yankees.

Keep in mind that Soto turned down a 15 year, $440M deal from the Nationals a few years ago, and is likely to secure the second biggest contract in baseball history, only trailing two-way star Shohei Ohtani's 10 year, $700M deal. But players like Juan Soto don't come around often. With the Orioles in the thick of their competitive window, the idea of Soto launching balls onto Eutaw Street as a member of the Orioles is hard not to dream about.

Contract Prediction: 13 years, $624M, opt out after years 2, 3, 5, and 8