'Wild card' Orioles in hot pursuit of top free agent hitter

The Baltimore Orioles are in play for one of baseball's best free agent power hitters.

Apr 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles hat and glove sits in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles should be in play to sign several of the top free agents in multiple positions this offseason.

One of their potential targets is now off the market, as right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Orioles' AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays. The good news is that there are several other comparable starters to Cease still available, including names like Framber Valdez, Michael King, and Ranger Suarez.

But Baltimore's focus isn't solely on the pitching staff. They're also interested in adding an impact bat in the middle of their lineup. They already made one move in that regard by trading for former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, and the 36 home runs that Ward hit during the 2025 season were more than double what any player on the Orioles had.

Read more: Orioles linked to free agent who could 'scare off' other teams

Some of the sport's premier power hitters are unrestricted free agents this winter, and Baltimore's president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, has been extremely clear that he intends to bring at least one of these players on board.

Nov 4, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias introduces Craig Albernaz as the Baltimore Orioles new Manager at Warehouse Bar. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

According to a recent report, it appears that the Orioles already have one slugger at the top of their wish list.

Insider Asserts Orioles Are Showing Interest in Kyle Schwarber

In a November 27 article, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman conveyed that the Orioles (who, "look like a potential wild card" this offseason) are currently pursuing former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber.

Schwarber makes a ton of sense for Baltimore, given that he could assume the DH spot for them. He could also potentially fill in at first base if the Orioles wanted to trade Ryan Mountcastle, although there's also an expectation that Samuel Basallo will get first base reps next season.

Schwarber is coming off a 2025 campaign where he hit .240 with a .928 OPS, 56 home runs, and 132 RBIs, which was enough to make him the runner-up for the 2025 NL MVP Award.

Career HR No. 300 for Kyle Schwarber was the third-longest homer in MLB this season 😮

(MLB x @GoogleCloud) pic.twitter.com/0HyQPNF8l0

— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2025

Schwarber wasn't the only player Heyman mentioned for the Orioles, as he also said they've "checked in" on Japanese hurler Tatsuya Imai and Framber Valdez.

The Orioles' signing of Schwarber would mean they added 90 home runs from 2025 to their roster with him and Ward. That, plus one of those two pitchers, would make for an extremely successful offseason for Elias and the rest of Baltimore's brass. But a lot still had to be done to make that offseason success a reality.

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