Baltimore Orioles' Lack of Spending This Offseason Has Hurt Starting Rotation

Did the Baltimore Orioles not spend enough this offseason to improve rotation?

Oct 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) is relieved in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have kicked off Spring Training with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp.

After what was a busy offseason of moves, the Orioles will be trying to make it to the postseason for the third straight season. This time around, they will be hoping to win a game in the playoffs, which is something that they haven’t been able to do of late.

This offseason, despite making some additions, Baltimore suffered two significant losses in free agency. Losing Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander can’t be understated, with the right-hander being the ace of the staff and the switch-hitter leading the team in home runs.

In the lineup, it appears on paper that the Orioles did a decent enough job to replace the production of Santander with Gary Sanchez and Tyler O’Neill being signed. However, there is a lot of concern about what the team will look like without Burnes.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently spoke about what the biggest question mark is for the Orioles heading into the season. He highlighted that while they spent more money this offseason, it might not have been enough to make sure the starting rotation is in good shape.

“The rotation is the biggest concern, but maybe 41-year-old Morton and 35-year-old, new-to-MLB Sugano shock us.”

While it was good to see the Orioles begin to spend a bit, they might have seen multiple teams in the division hop them this winter. Significant offseason additions by the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have made the AL East even stronger.

In a division that has multiple teams that aren’t afraid to spend, Baltimore is seemingly falling behind because of a lack of spending.

Fortunately, the young core of the Orioles is still under contract for several years, but they will need to be paid soon as well.

While the lineup should be able to help contribute to a successful season, there are multiple question marks in the rotation. Charlie Morton is an aging veteran, and Tomoyuki Sugano has never pitched in the Majors before.

Overall, Baltimore should still be fielding a very competitive team even after the notable losses in free agency. However, this is the team that has won the most games in the American League in the last two years.

With postseason success being the priority for the franchise now, it feels like they have taken a step in the wrong direction this winter. Unfortunately, their lack of spending might end up coming back to cost them down the road.