How are members of the 2023 Orioles doing on their new teams?

By and large, the Baltimore Orioles kept all of the players that they needed to keep from the 2023 roster that won 101 games and correctly identified the players they could let go. It certainly helps that the Orioles' lineup is loaded with surefire studs with plenty of team control, along with relatively easy decisions to make on the pitching side, but divisions are often won and lost with the choices made on the fringes of the roster.

Still, there were some interesting guys that moved on from the Orioles after the 2023 season who found gainful employment with other teams for this season. It is hard not be curious as to how they're performing now that they have left, so here is a look at how some of the former 2023 Orioles are doing with their new teams.

How Are 2023 Baltimore Orioles Performing With New Teams in 2024?

Aaron Hicks

When the Orioles added Aaron Hicks midway through 2023 after the Yankees (surprisingly?) DFA'd him, the move was seen as little more than just adding some interesting outfield depth to cover for Cedric Mullins' injury, given how his last few years with New York had gone. However, Hicks exceeded every expectation in Baltimore with an .806 OPS in his 65 games of work. He was able to parlay that performance into a deal with the Angels last offseason.

Sadly for Hicks, he hasn't been able to keep the good times rolling in LA. He has seen plenty of playing time with the Angels in 2024, but all he has to show for it is a .140/.218/.200 line. Given that Jo Adell looks like he is finally beginning his ascension with the Angels, there is a real chance that Hicks could see less and less playing time the rest of the way. At least the Yankees are still paying most of his salary.

Jack Flaherty

Last year, the Orioles desperately needed to add some starting pitching to have a chance of making a deep postseason run. Unfortunately, Baltimore stuck to their guns and refused to play at the top of the rotation trade market and instead landed Jack Flaherty in a deal with the Cardinals. Flaherty "rewarded" the Orioles with a 6.75 ERA for their troubles, and he hit free agency with little to no fanfare after the 2023 season.

Ultimately, the Tigers ended up with Flaherty on a one year, $14 million deal and the results have been pretty much the same that he has put up the last few years. He currently has a 4.91 ERA, and while his strikeout and walk rates are currently the best of his career, opposing batters are teeing off on his fastball. There are encouraging signs in some respects, but his recent track record and injury history probably has the Orioles feeling pretty good about not taking another gamble on him.

Adam Frazier

Adam Frazier's time with the Orioles was limited to just one season, and while his .240/.300/.340 line was "fine", it was pretty clear that he was just a bridge to the future. Having a respected veteran like him in the clubhouse does have value, but Baltimore is just so loaded with position player talent that keeping him around just to barely contribute made little sense.

So, Frazier found himself a free agent who was right up the Royals' alley and he signed with them. Kansas City has been surprisingly good this season, opening with a 16-10 record, but Frazier has only played a minor role in that success. His current .570 OPS leaves a lot to be desired, despite a significant amount of playing time, but luckily the Royals have guys like Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez carrying the offensive load early in the season.

Shintaro Fujinami

Shintaro Fujinami looked amazing at times with Baltimore, as he is absolutely filthy when he is commanding his stuff. Unfortunately, he did so very infrequently. Fujinami was better with Baltimore in 2023 than he was with Oakland, but he still had an ERA close to 5.00 and his issues with walks remained a big problem for a Baltimore team with championship aspirations.

Still, Fujinami was able to somewhat land on his feet with a one-year deal with the Mets for $3.35 million. However, he was immediately sent down to the minor leagues to start the 2024 season, and his numbers at Triple-A have been truly terrible, with more double the number of walks than innings pitched through seven appearances thus far.

Kyle Gibson

Kyle Gibson was perfectly reasonable source of innings for the 2023 Orioles. While his 4.73 ERA was both very meh and right in line with what he has been for most of his career, he gave Baltimore 192 decent innings last year, which is more than a lot of the Orioles' starters from last season can lay claim to. However, he doesn't miss a lot of bats, and the Orioles thought they could do better than bringing him back for 2024. Given that they traded for Corbin Burnes, they appear to have been right.

As for Gibson, the Cardinals just can't seem to quit older pitchers with limited current upside (bonus points if they went to Mizzou!), and they signed him for $12 million before the 2024 season. His performance in St. Louis is proof that time is a flat circle, as he has a 4.35 ERA and has averaged roughly six innings a start. However, his walk rate has crept up, and his strikeout rate of 5.8 K/9 is his worst since 2014, so it is possible that we could be witnessing the beginning of the end.

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