Orioles Rumors: Nola near miss, Dylan Cease, Josh Hader and other top bullpen arms

Now that the Baltimore Orioles have established themselves as one of the best teams in baseball, they have no real excuse to stand pat. They won the AL East last season with 101 wins and while the playoffs didn't go to plan, it is clear that they have a prime opportunity in front of them after years of stockpiling high end talent in the minor leagues.

Unfortunately, there had been a sense that the Orioles' ownership doesn't exactly feel the same way. Despite the additional revenue that comes from fielding a winning ballclub and making the playoffs, Orioles CEO John Angelos made it clear that fans shouldn't expect Baltimore to significantly expand payroll next season due to the size of their market and the "need" to maintain certain profit margins.

However, what ownership has said in public and what the rumor mill suggests is happening seem to be two very different things. If what has been reported lately is actually true, the Orioles could very well be looking to be more aggressive this offseason than they have been letting on. Here is a look at some of the latest Orioles rumors as we head into the Winter Meetings.

Orioles Rumors: Baltimore were players to sign Aaron Nola

Baltimore's need to beef up their rotation is not exactly news. Kyle Bradish was excellent in 2023 and Grayson Rodriguez showed flashes, but the rest of the starting staff was middling at best last season and the Orioles did little to address the need at the trade deadline despite it being a clear weakness of the roster going into the second half.

It does appear as though Baltimore isn't completely asleep at the wheel as the Orioles were reportedly very interested in acquiring Phillies star pitcher Aaron Nola before he decided to re-sign with Philadelphia earlier in the offseason.

While a team being "interested" in a good pitcher doesn't mean much on the surface, that Baltimore was even mentioned as a suitor for a guy like Nola who was always a mortal lock to get a significant nine figure deal is somewhat telling. Baltimore isn't overly likely to hand out a big guaranteed contract, but that they were even checking in on a guy like Nola does seem to indicate that the Orioles could be more willing to spend than most had been led to believe especially when you consider what is happening elsewhere in the offseason rumor mill.

Orioles Rumors: The Orioles are shopping at the top of the bullpen market

One of the bigger bright spots from the 2023 season for Baltimore was the play of Felix Bautista which is why it was particularly devastating to see him get hurt and undergo Tommy John surgery which will keep him out for all of 2024. Baltimore seems to recognize how big of a loss Bautista was as well as the need to have a strong bullpen and it sure seems like they are willing to spend to rectify the situation.

Multiple reports have suggested that Baltimore is among the chief suitors for the top relief arm on the free agent market, Josh Hader. Hader is expected to get a deal that will pay him north of $20+ million a year which would normally peg him as a guy out of the Orioles' price range, but that hasn't seemed to dissuade Baltimore so far. It would also be pretty sweet to see Hader come home to the team that originally drafted him back in 2012.

More importantly, the Orioles don't seem to be hanging their hopes on Hader as they have also been looking at other top relievers on the market including Jordan Hicks, Craig Kimbrel, and Aroldis Chapman. None of those guys are going to make anywhere near what Hader is going to command, but they certainly aren't going to be cheap which is good news for those that worried that Baltimore wasn't going to do anything beyond putting a band-aid on a significant roster hole.

At this point, it would be surprising to see the Orioles NOT come away with a high end reliever this offseason. That should put them in a decent position in 2024 and once Bautista returns from the IL after that, assuming he has no setbacks, look out.