SAN DIEGO — Scott Boras was partly right. As part of his winter meetings routine, the super-agent, representing some of baseball’s top players, gathered a gaggle of reporters in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt. He offered tidbits of news, ample puns and then proved why he isn’t an ornithologist.
“Baltimore, they’re birds of prey,” Boras said.
Well, not really. Orioles — the actual bird — are far from that, eating mainly bugs and fruit. But the Orioles — the baseball team — perhaps are on their way to preying on the rest of the league.
“They’ve feathered up,” Boras continued. One can only assume that’s a positive comment.
But regardless of their plumage, the Orioles haven’t done much to crow about so far at the winter meetings — at least publicly. They’ve met with starting pitchers over the last few weeks, and Boras said Baltimore’s executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias has been in “constant contact.”
At this point, contact is all that’s amounted. Baltimore has stood pat on a major move, despite the market swirling around them, because Elias has never been one to rush when he can be calculated.
So, will the Orioles make another signing before leaving San Diego?
“I can’t handicap it right now,” Elias said. “I’m not one to view this event as something with some artificial pressure.”
But what if the market continues at this pace?
“If that happens,” Elias said, “and we have to be in a competitive position to move quickly before the winter meetings are over, we’ll do that.”
So far, the Orioles have signed first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero, infielder Josh Lester and outfielder Nomar Mazara to minor league deals, and veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson to a one-year, $10 million contract that puts him in position to slot into the back-end of the rotation. None of those four moves are the flashiest, although Elias foresees Mazara as having a chance to break spring training on the Opening Day roster.
Baltimore is still interested in adding another starting pitcher, especially one who can be in the top half of the rotation. A left-handed bat and a backup catcher are focuses, too. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he’d like to see additional veterans added, supplementing a roster that’s made up mainly of young talent brought through the pipeline of a rebuild.
The market on starting pitching, especially, has been fast-moving. Many of the top free agents have signed long-term deals, with Jacob deGrom joining the Texas Rangers and Justin Verlander heading to the New York Mets. The Philadelphia Phillies, who made a splash with the signing of shortstop Trea Turner, also added right-hander Taijuan Walker.
As the first tier of starters are claimed, Baltimore’s focus on adding a starter — especially a left-hander — becomes more pertinent. Boras represents left-hander Carlos Rodón, the top free agent pitcher still available. Left-hander Sean Manaea is also a Boras client and could be an interesting fit in Baltimore.
But even as conversations with prospective signees include Hyde and other members of the coaching staff, the Orioles haven’t hurried into any moves. Elias said they have spoken with all the major agencies present at the winter meetings, and the pitch to convince players to take Baltimore seriously is easier than ever before.
Then again, that will happen on the back of the Orioles’ first winning season since 2016.
“It’s an attractive place to play,” Hyde said. “The division we’re in and the type of talent we’re going to have and now we’ve really turned the corner. We’re proud of turning the corner, what we went through the last few years. Now we’re in a different mode. Now it’s a winning mode. Trying to add guys that can help us win.”
That wasn’t always the focus during the last few winters, especially as the 2020 and 2021 winter meetings were interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic and the MLB lockout. In the first few years, Elias’ primary interest was to hire and build the foundation of an organization, not lure high-level free agents.
“This is really the first year where we’ve been kind of a relevant party for a lot of the type of free-agent talks that pick up steam at the Winter Meetings,” Elias said.
And the players and representatives have noticed, even if deals haven’t crossed the finish line yet.
The Orioles convinced Gibson to join despite offers from the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. Mazara turned down other non-roster invite deals because of the opportunity in Baltimore. Others could be on the way, a splash here and there to add to an impressive young core.
“There’s a number of young players they’re stocked with,” Boras said, “and I think they’re trying to supplement this young nucleus because they really feel they’re ready to be competitive.”
There isn’t a specific timeframe. Elias isn’t one to hasten to close a deal before the winter meetings close. But at the very least, the Orioles have fluffed their feathers, as Boras said. And while a flock hasn’t followed yet, the rookery could be swooping in soon.
Notes
- In Baltimore’s hunt for starting pitching, the Orioles could look at a trade for a player still under team control. Elias said Tuesday that the Orioles have “brainstormed” offers that include major league players going in either direction, but given the organization’s position, he feels it’s more prudent to deal with prospects rather than established talent. “I think it makes it a little bit harder in our situation, because our goal this year is to increase our odds of making it into the playoffs, and if we’re taking guys off of our major league team, it kind of bites into that,” Elias said. “But we’ve definitely entertained those types of discussions when it comes to importing starting pitchers.”
- Elias said the team would like to add a backup catcher on a major league deal rather than rely on non-roster invites earning the job at spring training. Adley Rutschman is the lone catcher on the 40-man roster, and Elias expects him to catch in the range of 125-game at most while also featuring at DH.
