The Orioles had “legitimate interest” in southpaw Blake Snell before he landed with the Dodgers on a five-year deal that became official earlier today, per a report from Roch Kubatko of MASN. Kubatko notes, however, that it’s unclear how advanced talks between Baltimore and Snell’s camp became before he settled on Los Angeles. Previous reporting indicated that the Orioles could get involved in the Snell sweepstakes, but Kubatko’s report is the first confirming Baltimore’s interest.
As the club looks to either reunite with right-hander Corbin Burnes or replace his production at the top of their rotation following his departure for free agency earlier this month, it’s hardly a surprise to hear that the club took a hard look at Snell while he was available. The two-time Cy Young award winner has been even better than Burnes from a run prevention perspective over the past three years, with a 2.82 ERA and 2.98 FIP in 412 innings. Burnes, meanwhile, lags behind in rate stats with a 3.08 ERA and 3.49 FIP, but his 590 innings of work dwarf Snell in terms of volume. That volume figures to be particularly attractive to an Orioles club that has serious health question marks surrounding a number of its starters, including Kyle Bradish as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery that figures to keep him out of action for at least the first half of 2025.
While Burnes seems likely to remain the Orioles’s top choice in free agency this winter, they’ve also been connected to southpaws Max Fried and Garrett Crochet in free agency and via trade respectively. It seems as though they’re also looking at mid-rotation arms as well, however, as they were recently linked to veteran righty Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi projects to be much less expensive than Burnes and Fried in free agency this winter, but that affordability comes with a much less impactful track record as the 34-year-old has a solid but unremarkable 3.75 ERA and 3.63 FIP across the past five seasons. The Orioles are quite familiar with Eovaldi, of course, as he spent seven seasons in the AL East with the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox from 2015 to 2022.
More tidbits from around the baseball world…
- Mariners fans got an encouraging update on the status of right-hander Matt Brash recently, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported earlier this week that the right-hander is ahead of schedule as he rehabs from his early May Tommy John surgery. Per Jude, the Mariners are “optimistic” that he could return to the club’s bullpen by the end of April this coming season, just under a year after he first went under the knife. Brash’s return would surely be a major boost for Seattle, as he established himself as one of the most exciting young arms in the club’s arsenal during a breakout 2023 campaign. After being moved to the bullpen partway through the 2022 season, Brash’s first full campaign as a reliever saw him lead the majors with 78 appearances while posting an excellent 3.06 ERA with an even better 2.26 FIP. He struck out an eye-popping 34.7% of batters faced that year, and if he can post numbers anything like that in 2025 he’ll be a phenomenal complement to closer Andres Munoz at the back of the Mariners bullpen next year.
- The Cubs have yet to announce their finalized coaching staff for the 2025 season, but Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported earlier this week that at least one more vacancy has been filled. After assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos departed the organization to become the Marlins’ pitching coach, the club is promoting internally to replace Moskos by hiring Casey Jacobson. Jacobson has been in the Cubs organization since October 2019 and has spent the past two years as the senior coordinator of pitching development for the club in the minor leagues. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to work on a big league coaching staff for the first time in his career with a number of young arms such as Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Porter Hodge expected to play roles for Chicago next year.
O’s are going to surprise in December. I predict two significant signings and maybe a trade.
Oh Lord, I hope so.
I think the Orioles are going to be “in on” all the big names and not sign any of them. We will see.
100% agree. Sure they’ll be some “rumors” and maybe they’ll even make an offer or two, but they won’t sign any pitcher that will make them a playoff or World Series “favorite”
lol no they won’t. I’ve been watching the orioles for going on 40 years now. Even with new ownership, the orioles will always be the team to sign an aging starting pitcher or they’ll overpay for a below average pitcher with a trade. Yes they’ll sign and trade for a pitcher or two, but the best that they’re gonna get is maybe Evoldi, I’d be absolutely shocked if they resigned Burnes, and if they were gonna get that starter from the white Sox, they would have during the trade deadline season. I wish I was wrong dude, believe me, but I know the orioles.. they ain’t going to surprise anybody
Crochet wasn’t going to pitch in the postseason for the Orioles so I really dont think that he’s off the table now. I mean he didn’t get traded right?
Getting Crochet and Eovaldi would be a pretty good combo and that is what I think they will do. Sign Burnes? Heck no. If they wanted to sign a guy like Burnes they would have done it last year instead of trading for him and his 1 year of remaining control.
Well what will the Cubs give Seattle for Louis Castillo? I am all for trading him and using the money to improve our infield and hitting. If we don’t get Sasaki there are a couple guys we have in the minors we could call up. Would like to see Polanco back for cheaper and hit like he did the last part of the season.
I like the general concept of a Bellinger for Castillo deal. I think Bellinger is a good fit for Seattle and Castillo for the Cubs. Both contracts are underwater you could argue to what degree. Mariners probably need a back end starter to go along with Bellinger and the Cubs have guys like Wicks and Assad to toss in.
Mariners need an infielder. Both 2b and 3b right? Rojas was a surprise non tender. I like Moncada as a high risk high reward type of guy.
Are there any reports linking Max Fried to the Chicago Cubs???
Opposite; Jed has said they aren’t shopping in that aisle. They’ll probably sign one of Buehler, Eovaldi, someone in that range with upside, no comp pick attached, and requires <5years deal.
Highly unlikely that the Cubs will sign anybody who got a QO this off season. They would have to give up 1 million in International signing money, And their 2nd and 5th round draft picks. Add that to the fact that they will probably be trying to ACQUIRE more Intl money than lose it( Sasaki) Makes the fact that they’ll be shopping at the top of the FA pool a complete non starter. That’s a lot to give up for contracts that might be burdens in the future as opposed to trades for younger arms( Crochet) which make way more sense given their deep prospect pool. They already have a decent stable of young arms but as we all know, Stuff happens.
I can see them overpaying to get Buehler to the north side. He did not receive a QO from LA..
Money isn’t the issue with Sasaki. If he were, he would’ve stayed in Japan a couple of more years until he wouldn’t fall under the international FA rules.
Money? No money isn’t the issue. But International Money IS the issue. Some teams have more , Some teams have less. But the idea is to OBTAIN some more not lose it. However there is a cap on how much you can acquire. But the consolation prize is if you get enough INTL Money, And miss on Sasaki, You can absolutely let it rip in the traditional South American International signing period. You might even find better future value.
I promise you if there were any reports at all that suggested it you would find them on this site.
Several of the writers on this site predicted her would sign with the Cubs.
Nick Deeds is a Cubs fan. And all those writers boss is a Cubs fan Tim. This site has a very long history of making bold predictions and statements regarding what the Cubs will do. It’s always very aggressive. Do you remember Brian Roberts? I sure do……
Take a chill pill, pink.
Everything i said is true. If you don’t want to read my posts use the mute button. I can assure you if you mute me I will do the same to you.
The site is run by Cubs fans.
OMG, YOUR gonna ‘mute me’. LOL.
Well this trolling thing you are doing now is probably going to be a lot less fun if I don’t know what you are saying right?
I said you can mute me dipwad. Not sure why you are obsessed with me. But yeah now I am about to mute you. Reply to this comment and I will mute you I guarantee it. No clue who you are you wont be missed.
People do realize that if you mute somebody they can still read your posts right? And then reply to the comment above you and everybody will be able to see how dumb people think you are. Everybody except you of course. LMAO. I had a guy comment on one of my posts the other day and then mute me so I couldn’t reply. A new all time low.
If i comment on one of your posts and then mute you it will be to tell you I am muting you and that’s it. It’s not about getting the last word I just think it’s fair to let the person know what’s going on.
Personally anyone who mutes me I mute them too once I realize they muted me. If you don’t want to read what I say then why would I read what you say?
You are alright Mike. For a Cubs fan…..
I just tell it like I think it is. It rankles a lot of people. You are nowhere near muteworthy Pink and have interesting thoughts. Why would I mute somebody like that? LOL It’s basically the problem with the whole country. If you don’t think exactly like me you’re an idiot. The site is supposed to be a sharing of ideas. If I want the other stuff I’d be on twitter or whatever.
Yeah obviously we root for different teams but my rules for muting are when things get weirdly personal or I think the person is being a troll. And you don’t do any of that. We can disagree about baseball all day thats not mute worthy.
Did you survive being muted by KnowItAll in the area?
Pink doesn’t realize much of anything. He’s too busy being an internet sensation on the mlbtr comments. Stink is a legend in his own mind.
Pantypink, internet tough guy lol.
Pink as I got older the thing I learned is we all or most are the product of where we live. Most cheer for their hometown teams. Some root for their parents team and then some root for the Yankees because they are the Yankees. It is like people rooting for the Cowboys. Some reporter called them Americas Team and the disillusioned fans believe it.
My point is we mostly root for teams we have a connection to. You rooting for your team is no different than me for mine. Basically we are all the same. I have come to appreciate fans of other teams and enjoyed the back and forth on boards like this. What it boils down to is we are much more alike. I have also come to realize if someone is bothering me I cut bait a bit quicker no need to get upset over what someone else said. Also it takes a lot to make me upset. Enjoy the time on the board and don’t let the bozos get to you.
Would be great if mariners got some encouraging news that some hitters were coming !!
Something tells me Daniel Moskos is hoping last year’s injuries scare teams away from Luzardo and Alcantara.
Do the Cubs know it’s the post season and it’s ok to get their heads out of their butts now? No probably not, why improve when you finished “only” 10 games out. Why get anyone established when a kid from your system might be serviceable
I agree it’s time to stop signing over priced FA’s and give youth a chance. Nice Post!
@oldguy; Rickets prefers to spend his money on property in Wyoming. He has inspirations of making a second Jackson Hole out there. He’s receiving a lot of pushback so far. But yeah, why doesn’t he reinvest in his team, the Cubs?
Old guy- Just by standing pat the Cubs could actually improve immensely by subtracting Wisdom, Madrigal, Tauchman and the others they non tendered. I wouldn’t get too excited by the lack of anything happening yet as this is the usual form for Baseball which is the Anti Football and Basketball FA frenzy that happens in 24 hours. They could improve by signing back some of the guys they lost( Lopez, Bethancourt?) Especially with the lame Catching market. I’m not sold on Thaiss being the answer to all that. They don’t need a lot. They need to invest in the Bullpen more than the starters. For just once they need to break camp with a dominant bullpen and Hoyer needs to lose his phobia of signing FA back end guys. Tanner Scott would be an awesome move to give CC a LH closer plus Hodge to use however he wants. Although re signing Keegan Thompson and Merryweather might not be sexy moves, They add quality depth they didn’t have at the start of last season when they ended up behind the 8 ball early.
Might is the key word. They are on the same path of mediocrity.
I would only bank on Brown, PCA at this point. Shaw might get in but there is no clear path. Caissie mid season at best.
Pitching wise Horton has solid upside. But after losing a year he has to prove that he can get AAA hitters out before even getting a look.
For me the only farm untouchables would be Shaw, Ballesteros, Horton, Wiggins, Smith and Gray. I’m not sure what Gray did to drop from like #7 to 25 in one season after TJ surgery but his arm is undeniable. Sure he was wild last year( Name a young P who isn’t) So I don’t know what the deal is. Getting a guy like Crochet, Alcantara is a much better proposition than giving Burnes or Fried at 30 a boatload of money at this point. If starting proves to be too much for either of those guys being high end bullpen pieces is surely an option. More flexibility = Better Major League team.
Not sure why you’d list Ballesteros as untouchable, and not Caissie. Especially when Ballesteros is likely to be a DH, and an emergency catcher – or only occasionally behind the plate at best.
More flexibility = better MLB team (sorry I couldn’t resist).
Caissie likely still has the biggest power upside in the system, until proven otherwise. And is a MUCH needed LH bat. Caissie also is a competent OFer with a strong arm – and has hit for a decent average while playing against older competition. Happ isn’t likely going to be around after this year unless they win the pennant, despite his NTC.
Ballesteros bat is untouchable to me. You think the Cubs would have let Schwarber go if the NL had the DH that year? You all keep complaining the Cubs have no power bats or HR hitters. Well here you go. And as much as I love Caissie, The Cubs have a slew of OF’s coming. If somebody would meet my price I’d sell. And Happ will be here through 26 if not further. The NMC says so. He has other business interests here and I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Hoyer extends him again.It’s a love story now.
Tell me who the slew of LH power bats are, again.
And what about your ‘flexibility’ comment, Mike?
I said slew of OF’s. Never said slew of LH bats. They already have Hqpp, Bellinger and PCA. You wanna add Caissie to that mix already? What they need now are RH OF’s.
Where are all these outfield prospects? The Cubs do not have anywhere close to a “slew” of outfield prospects. We have Caissie and Alcantara, Triantos in a pinch. Bateman maybe if PCA absolutely flames out. Franklin? Long? Canario?
Well the guys you mentioned and I’d just toss in Felix Stevens who I like a lot and lower Garriola and Brethowr. Unfortunately the one I really liked they just traded for some teams 8th best reliever. He could have been MLB ready when Happ and Suzuki’s contracts ran out. Not to mention the 11 SS’s they currently have in the system who are gonna have to move because Hoyer signed Swanson to a lifetime deal after drafting them all. But yeah That to me is a slew. I guess it depends on your definition of a slew I guess. And you really don’t want to see a large sample of Long in the OF. Break glass in case of emergency really. Stevens is the guy who has an Arm, Power and decent speed for a big man.
Then why have the Cubs been playing Stevens predominantly at 1B? Being able to run in a straight line – or able to run and catch a flyball – can be two very separate skill sets.
And I wonder where the bar is set – for you to ‘really like a lot’?
Nothing against Stevens, I’ve seen him launch moon shots in AZ BP, but comon, he’s never really hit.
He’s mostly been playing RF in AA because with Long and McGeary there they moved him there. And he’s better than I thought he’d be. He can play LF or RF. Maybe watch him play before you say. He’s good in the gaps and fairly agile. If he lightened up a bit it would work. Plus if he makes it to Wrigley it would be fun to see Stevens vs the bricks. Nobody beats the bricks but I bet he could take out one of those steel doors.
It’s the offseason oldguy.
Still hoping this is actual “legitimate interest”, giving the Orioles new ownership group the winter to prove itself. Many articles in the past had the Orioles “interested” in many big names and never getting them.
Crochet is begging for an overpay for someone. I’d be ok with Eovaldi if he is not the only pickup because of the age and injury concerns. Fried or resigning Burnes would be the preferred option at this point, and if one comes with a plus Eovaldi that’s a decent winter.
Thornton Mellon;
The O’s problematic issues on chatroom boards and in baseball media is their pitching.
The O’s problems down the stretch and in the playoffs was defense and pitching…..and we can throw in fundamental baseball including base running. But spreadsheets don’t show that…watching the games does.
Stats lie, but they help create narratives led by media people that don’t understand what it is they’re covering….in anything in our culture.
What? The O’s problem down the stretch and in the playoffs was offense. If they aren’t hitting homers, they aren’t scoring. Period. I am so sick of people whitewashing the putrid offensive shortcomings highlighted this year, and giving the offense a pass for ALSO sucking in the 2023 postseason (in their highest scoring game, Aaron Hicks had 5 of the 8 RBI!).
The Orioles will not win anything until they fix their inconsistent offense. The pitching is overall fine. The defense is overall fine. Now, nothing they did post-ASB was fine other than starting pitching, every element seemed to break down at some point, but the offense was the real killer. To ignore that is irresponsible. It all hinges on the offense. If the offense isn’t clicking, nothing is.
This bogus “pitching is the problem” mythology from internet chat groups is so… stupid. And I recognize you’re saying it was pitching, defense, and baserunning – but that is still ignoring the real problem, and lumping in pitching inaccurately.
Sewald is right. I watch every game. The offense was inconsistent and relied way too much on the homerun. No passing the baton approach, no hitting with RISP. Best hitters down the stretch were Urias and Rivera (Westburg was hurt). I love Santander but the best thing for this time may to get away from his approach a little bit since he was kind of the team leader. If it weren’t for a few lucky walk offs they wouldn’t have even got to 90 wins. The SP kept them in most games. Check out things like the box scores, team OBP, and clutch hitting
SewaldSwansonSwoon;
LOL
Actually, what I meant to write was:
“The O’s problems down the stretch and in the playoffs was defense and HITTING”.
I agree with you.
They have a terrific pitching coach. He’ making their pitchers better. If Jorge Mateo is healthy and they put him back at SS instead of Gunner the pitchers are going to do better.
Absolutely not. Giving Mateo a significant role on the team would demonstrate that they are satisfied with being “good enough” rather than trying to be favorites. There is no cushion to give.
If the problem was hitting down the stretch, going to put in a guy who has just above average defense (Gunnar was better at the ASB last year until he got the bobbles) and has a robust .267 OBP each of the last 3 years to fix it?
Mateo is an emergency injury replacement, tops. Late innings if we have a large enough lead. I would have non-tendered.
Oh I think Baltimore has legitimate interest. But I don’t think they understand what it takes to sign the top free agents yet. Truly only a few teams sign the top free agents and Baltimore hasn’t been one of those teams in my lifetime.
Crochet makes sense. Baltimore has proven they are willing to trade.
My hangup on Crochet is that he never exceeded 65 IP in any year since 2018 until 2024, and made a big deal about having a clause about pitching in the postseason. Couldn’t give the same guarantees to Crochet as you would to a similar pitcher whose gone 150 IP the past 3 or 4 years, but I also don’t see Crochet agreeing to an incentive laden contract that would make sense. Of course Chi Sox will ask for a lot, I would want an extension agreement in place that is incentive laden/not so guaranteed.
As far as “Orioles have legitimate interest”, until I see ink go on paper I equate that to when I was single and I had legitimate interest in dating Anna Kournikova but about the same amount of chance at her as the Orioles did at signing Snell.
I’m sure that Tito is loving the Reds pulling their usual disappearing act on additions until just before spring training when the coffers are empty.
They should kick the tires on Luis Robert. It’s going to cost 1 high end position player prospect and a decent second. Anything else token long shots years away. In the end, Getz answers to Reinsdorf and he wants to shed the salary. They also want to deal him “before” Crochet. Take advantage of them telegraphing they want that clarity.
I concur. Believe Robert would awaken in a big way changing teams/league.
There’s a reason they’d rather deal Robert ahead of Crochet. In the words of Forrest Gump – Robert is like a box of chocolates. Never know what you’re gonna get.
And that is exactly why no team is gonna ante up any where near the package you or Getz thinks they can get. He is low energy, unreliable – not anything you can rely on. Not to mention injury prone.
Most teams haven’t done anything of note so far this offseason.
Brash’s first full campaign as a reliever saw him lead the majors with 78 appearances.
And then have TJ surgery. Huh.
Are there any underrated hitters that could become Juan Soto in Seattle?
Yoan moncada would be a blockbuster addition for us!
He’d be a boon for your IL list anyway.
I think you are being sarcastic but I believe Moncada is a great fit for Seattle and a good bounce back candidate.
I live in Chicago. And it’s all I’ve seen from him in the last 3 years.
Only way I’d come within 10 feet of Moncada, would be on a Make good contract – around minimum salary.
Moncada has superstar potential. I wouldn’t say he has a good chance of reaching that potential but he has it. And not many guys can say that who are looking at 1 year deals. You could give him 5 or 10 million for a year and maybe you hit big maybe you bust.
Kirby Yates looked like he was washed up until last year then he wasn’t. Guys bounce back. It happens.
Kirby yates was a great closer with the padres, gets TJ, has a good year with the braves, then becomes a great closer again
Moncada has been injured then 750 ops then injured and such
A (at best) slightly above average player that gets injured a ton is not good
pink, does your mother know how much time you waste on the internet?
At best Moncada is a 5 win player. And that’s a really good player. How many Mariners were 5 win players in 2024? Was Julio?
Was Moncada? Nope. He was injured, again!
Pink is investing time in his future. He is going to be a front office wizard when someone finally locates this hidden talent. He told us above that he knows more than Baltimore’s front office. Unrelated: I guess his mom won’t fork over the $3 per month (10 cents per day) for the mlbtr subscription.
If I was a GM I would trade literally everyone on the ML roster for prospects and trade those prospects for even more prospects to try to make the golden state warriors
Such disrespect for Eovaldi. I would put him up against Snell, Burnes and Fried in a game 7.
I agree. Eovaldi is a vet, a winner, and a big game pitcher.
This trend is emblematic of a broader issue: Baltimore’s reluctance to commit financially to elite talent, even as they emerge as contenders. I wonder if the hesitation stems from a lack of confidence in their window of contention or broader financial constraints.
There is no trend. This is the first offseason under Rubenstein. Nothing previous matters. Also, fun fact, the players have to commit too. You know nothing about why Snell chose LAD, but the fact remains that he did indeed CHOOSE their offer. The offering club(s) can only do so much. The decision is up to the player. What’s Snell supposed to like about Baltimore’s 2nd half of 2024? The putrid offense? Now the moving the wall back in – which hurts lefty pitchers? While on the flipside he can join the reigning WS Champs…
@SewaldSwansonSwoon
While I appreciate the attempt to minimize the issue by focusing solely on this offseason under Rubenstein, it’s a bit shortsighted to ignore the consistent patterns that have shaped the Orioles’ behavior over the last several seasons. This isn’t just about one offseason—it’s about an ongoing reluctance to pull the trigger on elite talent, something we’ve seen for years as the Orioles continually undercut their potential by not making big financial commitments, especially as they’ve finally positioned themselves as contenders. So yes, the trend exists, and this offseason merely continues it.
As for Snell’s choice, I’m well aware that players choose where they go. But that doesn’t absolve the Orioles from the fact that they haven’t demonstrated a commitment to being a true competitor on the level of a team like the Dodgers. You’re right to point out that Snell had options, but his decision to sign with the reigning World Series Champs speaks volumes about what players value—team success, stability, and financial backing. If the Orioles’ second half of 2024 had truly inspired confidence in Snell or other top-tier free agents, they’d be signing on the dotted line regardless of the wall moving or their putrid offense. But the reality is, players like Snell see the writing on the wall. The Orioles’ financial hesitations and their lack of consistent on-field success as a team lead them to look elsewhere. The fact that Snell can join a proven winner with far more upside shows that while the player’s choice is important, the offering team must first set the stage.
Or Blake snell prefers the west coast and California where he’s played for 3 different clubs and signed 2 separate FA deals to be.
& it’s absolutely ridiculous to draw such outlandish conclusions when 1 big free agent is off the board. Truly funny.
How many teams actually go out and sign elite free agent talent on a consistent basis?
It’s a small number of teams.
@Blackpink in the area
Ah yes, the classic “not every team does it, so why should we expect the Orioles to?” defense. While it’s true that only a handful of teams are consistently aggressive in signing elite free agents, that doesn’t change the fact that the Orioles have repeatedly passed on opportunities to do so—even when it made sense to push their chips in. This argument of “everyone does it” is often used as a crutch to justify mediocrity, but the issue here isn’t about following the crowd; it’s about the Orioles’ failure to act when their window of contention is open. Other teams, like the Dodgers, Braves, and Mets, are consistently signing top-tier talent, and while they might have deeper pockets, it’s not just about money—it’s about commitment and building a winning culture.
The Orioles, meanwhile, seem content to dither around the edges, looking for bargains and taking half-measures instead of truly committing to being the contender they could be. You’re right that not every team does it, but the Orioles have the resources and the potential to do so—if they’d just make the leap. So instead of hiding behind the “not every team does it” argument, perhaps the focus should be on why the Orioles have consistently chosen not to make those moves, and what that says about their long-term outlook and willingness to invest in a championship-caliber roster.
I agree with almost every word of what you said.
My point was the Orioles haven’t proven that they are willing to take that next step. And even if they have the desire that doesn’t necessarily lead to them doing it. I am a Cardinals fan and my team had to trade for guys like Goldschmidt and Arenado. They paid Dexter Fowler and Mike Leake as if they were top end talents when they weren’t. Only so many teams not only have the desire to sign top free agents and the ability to actually close the deal.
“Meanwhile” needs to start the sentence. As a conjunctive adverb, it can’t come in the middle between commas.
The Orioles have a lot of interest, except when it comes to opening the checkbook. Thus far, no one can tell there’s new ownership.