Baltimore Orioles Should Target These Starting Pitchers in Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles are looking for pieces that will get them into the next level of contention after being swept out of the 2023 MLB Playoffs. These starting pitchers are who they should target.

After a fantastic regular season for the Baltimore Orioles, they flamed out hard in the playoffs.

That result can be expected for a team filled with players without postseason experience.

But after finishing as the American League's best team, getting swept was a disappointing way to be eliminated.

Much of the issues could be placed on the starting pitching rotation.

Their starters were only able to go eight total innings across three games in the ALDS.

Plenty of players in the rotation have bright futures ahead of them, but for the Orioles to truly become contenders, they need an ace-level guy right now.

These are the players that Baltimore should target in free agency this offseason.

While current Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher, Aaron Nola, will get a lot of the headlines, bringing in Sonny Gray would be the better option.

Firstly, Gray is going to command a much less expensive contract than Nola. This would allow the Orioles to have the high-level starter that their rotation is missing, while not committing tons of resources as their young players continue to develop.

He's coming off a year where he recorded a 2.79 ERA across 184 innings pitched, his best mark since 2015.

The right hander would also be on his fifth team in his career, knowing how to adjust to new locker rooms and cities, something that Nola has yet to do.

Jordan Montgomery would be a great option for Baltimore as well.

He's shown what he can do in the playoffs this year with the Texas Rangers, posting a 3-0 record across five appearances and a 2.16 ERA.

Michael Lorenzen will be looking for starting roles after the year ends. He was moved into the bullpen with the Phillies for their playoff run and it seems like he's not in their future plans, despite trading for him this season.

The Orioles could get a bargain deal for the right hander who is coming off his first All-Star selection after posting a 4.03 ERA in 15 starts before the break.

Baltimore has targeted veteran pitchers to fill their rotation the past few years, instead of being aggressive for top-level guys.

They can find that type of talent they're looking for in this class without spending tons of resources on the highly coveted pitchers who will hit the market.