This former Phillies reliever could be a perfect fit for the Orioles' pitching staff

Despite the lack of top of the rotation arms now available on the free agent market after Corbin Burnes agreed to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Baltimore Orioles still have a few options available to them via the trade market to bring in an ace for the 2025 season.

Last year's trade for Corbin Burnes didn't happen until February, so there's still plenty of time for the Orioles to pull off a big move ahead of spring training. In the meantime, the Orioles could look to bolster their pitching staff in another way, even after the recent addition of Charlie Morton.

Former Philadelphia Phillies reliever RHP Jeff Hoffman should be a target for the Orioles this winter

Hoffman wouldn't fill the void left by Burnes at the top of Baltimore's rotation, but he could fill a few different roles for them. Reportedly, Hoffman is looking to work as a starting pitcher in 2025 and is currently looking for a deal similar to what the New York Mets gave former New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes. The plan for Holmes is to pitch in the Mets' rotation, hopefully continuing a trend of bullpen arms successfully transitioning to starting roles across the league.

A Hoffman/Orioles match could be a little more intricate than just signing him to compete for a back-end rotation spot. The Orioles and fans alike are anxiously awaiting the return of Felix Bautista, but he's coming off missing a full year due to Tommy John surgery and he may need to be eased back into his role. There's also the possibility of Bautista not entirely returning to his elite, All-Star form.

Bringing in Jeff Hoffman would give the Orioles a dominant late-inning arm to work with Bautista in 2025, who could then be transitioned to a starter in 2026, or even late-2025 if Bautista returns to his dominant self.

The Orioles were reportedly interested in Clay Holmes and using him as a starter before he signed with the Mets, so they could pivot to Jeff Hoffman with Holmes off the board, as long as Hoffman is willing to continue to work out of the bullpen in 2025.

The 31-year-old right-handed pitcher is coming off a career-year that saw him throw 66.1 innings with a 2.17 ERA, a career-high 33.6% strikeout rate, and a career-low 6% walk rate. With four pitches that all grade out as above-average to plus offerings in terms of Stuff+ (overall Stuff+ of 116) and prior experience as a starter, it's easy to see why teams are interested in giving Hoffman a second chance in a major league rotation.

It's a move that comes with a lot of risk if Hoffman is unable to successfully transition into a starting role, but it's a move that could strengthen the Orioles' bullpen in the short-term and potentially pay bigger dividends in the future if he is able to start games.