Could Baltimore Orioles Pursue Former Giants Starter in Bold Free Agency Move?
The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly looking to play in the deep end of the pool and pursue elite pitching in free agency.
That includes additions for both the bullpen and rotation.
Of course, there are few options on the market and Aaron Nola, seen by many as the top option, already re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a seven-year, $172 million deal.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell lead the rest of the elite portion of this class and then it falls to Jordan Montgomery and Michael Wacha. But one under-the-radar move could be to sign former San Francisco Giants starter Sean Manaea.
As MLB.com points out, Manaea isn't the showy option and he isn't an "ace" by any stretch of the imagination. But if he can stay healthy, the 31-year-old could provide some meaningful innings from the back of the rotation. Much like a Kyle Gibson-type guy but with a higher ceiling.
Aside from his 2023 campaign, Manaea has been relatively reliable in terms of health. Last season he pitched 117.0 innings, but has routinely pitched more than 150-plus innings in his career.
His career 4.10 ERA and 1.223 WHIP aren't exactly jaw-dropping, but he showed his ceiling in 2018 with the Oakland Athletics when he pitched to a 3.59 ERA over the course of 160.2 innings pitched.
If Baltimore could get some resemblance of his 2018 form in a bounce back type season, then pursuing Manaea in free agency could be one of the most shrewd moves a team makes this offseason.
The question remains: is the gamble worth the potential reward?
