Orioles right-hander Albert Suárez is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow after suffering a season-ending elbow injury, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. That should determine whether the 35-year-old is in danger of any kind of surgery.
This was a lost year for Suárez, who’d been a surprisingly valuable part of the 2024 pitching staff. The journeyman started 24 of 32 appearances a season ago, working to a 3.70 ERA across 133 2/3 innings. Suárez began this year in long relief. He hurt his shoulder after one appearance and was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain that cost him the next four months.
By the time Suárez returned in September, the Orioles were well out of contention. He made four appearances, working nine innings of two-run ball. Then came the elbow inflammation that knocked him out for the year and raises questions about his future. Suárez is eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $900K salary. That’s more than reasonable if the Orioles expect him to be healthy next season, but any kind of serious injury could lead them to drop him from the 40-man roster.
Suárez is one of 14 Baltimore players who’ll be eligible for arbitration. Ryan Mountcastle has the highest projected salary of the group at $7.8MM. It’d be a surprise if the O’s bring him back for that amount after an injury-plagued season. Mountcastle suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain at the end of May. That kept him on the injured list beyond the trade deadline. He was healthy for the final six weeks and slashed .255/.293/.393 across 157 plate appearances. He struck out in nearly one third of his trips to the plate.
The 28-year-old had also struggled early in the season. He finished the year with a .250/.286/.367 line while hitting seven homers in 89 games. The Orioles used him as a part-time player down the stretch, giving everyday first base work to 23-year-old Coby Mayo. Even if neither Mayo nor rookie catcher/designated hitter Samuel Basallo had a good season, the O’s will probably look for a cheaper veteran bench bat to work behind those younger hitters.
Mountcastle acknowledged uncertainty about his future during the final weekend of the regular season (link via Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball). The 2015 third-round pick noted that he “can’t control things that happen” with the team’s decision but praised the coaches and teammates with whom he’s worked over his decade in the organization. Baltimore will probably shop him in trade, but they could have a hard time finding interest at that arbitration salary. A non-tender seems likelier. That would send him to free agency and make him an interesting rebound candidate for clubs on a cheaper one-year deal.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the O’s have a question mark in center field. After Cedric Mullins was traded at the deadline, the Orioles played Colton Cowser up the middle. While his small-sample defensive grades were tolerable, his average speed makes him a better fit in right field over a full season. Cowser had a terrible second half at the plate, hitting .178/.263/.340 after the All-Star Break. He missed time with a concussion and played through broken ribs that he suffered in June.
The O’s don’t have a ton of in-house alternatives. Dylan Beavers played exclusively in the corner outfield as a rookie. He’s an above-average runner who has some center field experience in the minors, yet he played more right field coming up through the system. Former first-rounder Enrique Bradfield is a no-doubt center fielder who hit well in Double-A, but he batted .179 in 15 games after a late-season promotion to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll probably begin the year in the minors.
Jake Rill of MLB.com suggested this morning that the O’s should look for an external upgrade, ideally one who hits from the right side. Cowser, Beavers, and Bradfield each hit left-handed. Harrison Bader fits that bill in free agency, but he should sign somewhere that offers everyday playing time on at least a strong two-year contract. They could add a fourth/fifth outfielder like Jose Siri on a cheap one-year deal or look for a glove-first complementary type on the trade market. Tyrone Taylor (Mets), Jacob Young (Nationals), Blake Perkins (Brewers) and Dane Myers (Marlins) are a few speculative glove-first possibilities who shouldn’t require a huge prospect return if the O’s go that route.
I think it really depends on how far along they think Bradfield is, Cowser could hold the center field spot for a little while until Bradfield is for sure ready if they think he is pretty close. Personally I can live with that if you actually bring in a bat that can produce consistently at the plate. But you’re either talking Bader who is a very solid offensive and excellent defensive guy or Bellinger who is the better offensive player. The problem for considering either of those two players is, are they going to be interested in a short term offer when you are planning to bring a guy like Bradfield into the fold eventually.
Personally I think the bat they’re looking for has to come via trade or a signing that is preceded or proceeded by a trade. Of the bats on the free agent market that would instantly boost this lineup, Pete Alonso would be the one to make a huge impact. But that would require you to move Mayo either to full time DH or trade him.
All in all, my O’s have so many areas to address, and the lack of spending or bad spending recently in some cases imo ( O’ Neill ) that its hard to see them addressing said needs to the extent that they need to. It feels kinda weird to be this hopeful and pessimistic at the same time yeah? xD
O’Neill might be a fit for the Phillies but I feel like he would have negative value so someone like castellanos or a young orioles player would have to be involved
What would be interesting is an adley rutschman for Andrew painter trade
For a team that was looking to be in contention, they sure do need to rebuild a whole lot of the team. They have no true 1B, no true CF, they have no true ace SP, the rest of the top of the rotation is coming off of injuries, they have no true closer, and they have to restock almost an entire bullpen.
I was never a huge fan of Mountcastle. His only value was his bat, and I wasn’t seeing the same thing that other people were drooling over. His minor league success was due to a massive BABIP that would not be sustainable at the major league level for several reasons. The fielding is better here, the pitching is better here, he doesn’t walk, and he strikes out a lot. If his only value is his bat and he’s a .250 hitter with 20-25HR power at 1b/DH, that’s not a lot of value.
The O’s got the best they could out of Mullins, and he was only getting worse. They needed to get rid of him. To not really have an option behind him is pretty short-sighted. I don’t see them turning to a high priced option. They’re going to go budget here and hope they hit on something again like they did with Larueano last season. They’re still going to want to play their youngsters as much as they can.
I don’t see the Orioles going out and getting an ace. They’ll get a budget starter and believe in their own in house arms which will blow up in their face like it does time and time again.
I don’t see them making a huge splash at closer, either. Until this team can prove it can compete as is, that’s a luxury item.
It is a really sad state of affairs given the talent this team still has on it. I for once would like to see a commitment from the ownership from this organization to invest in home-grown talent instead of letting it walk away for peanuts. Superstars don’t grow on trees, and when the O’s finally manage to develop one, they let them walk.
Sam is a bit of a head scratcher just from the point that he’s proven nothing yet other than he can hit minor league pitching and get banged up. But, he was the cheapest of all the current crop of young talent to sign long term. I hope he pans out.
I know they want a righty, but Cody Bellinger mashes lefties, and they need more than Harrison Bader to take the next step.
Love the Bader idea. Problem is he always seems to be hurt. Maybe look into Myers or McCormick in Houston to play CF.
I would really like to hear Elias’s rationale for signing O’Neill. What did he actually think he was getting there and why not put that money into pitching? Not seeing much of a strategic direction for this team in one direction or another.
31 Home Runs in 113 games in 2024 including 4 against the Orioles. I’m guessing Elias thought that if Healthy O’Neill would have a monster season at best and at worst replicate what he did in an injury filled season in Boston. If that’s the case, he certainly didn’t get it and there is zero chance O’Neill opts out of his contract for next season so the Orioles are stuck unless they find a team looking to swap bad contacts
Mountcastle’s power and run production as literally gone down each season since ’21. I really can’t see them offering him arbitration, especially with Mayo looking decent this season. Could be an interesting “buy low” candidate for a team looking for a project