The Baltimore Orioles are heading into the offseason with a bunch of crucial decisions to make with respect to their roster moving forward.
It was another very successful season for the Orioles, as they won over 90 games for the second straight season and were able to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive year as well. However, things could likely have been better for Baltimore, as they dealt with a lot of injuries in the second half of the season, especially to their pitching staff.
Injuries and a cold lineup resulted in an early exit from the MLB Postseason, and the offseason started quicker than the organization would have liked.
While the Orioles may not have achieved all of their goals this season, they did have some players have great seasons. Gunnar Henderson emerged as a star at shortstop, and outfielder Anthony Santander had a career-year.
Unfortunately for Baltimore, the slugger will be hitting free agency this offseason, and trying to keep him might not be in the franchise’s best interest. Here are three reasons why the Orioles should let the outfielder walk in free agency.
In-House Replacements
Anytime a franchise thinks about moving on from a player, they have to think about who can replace him. While the Orioles likely won’t plug in someone who is going to hit 44 home runs in 2025, they can bring in a player who will contribute so they can address other areas.
If Santander does leave in free agency, Baltimore will have a few options in the outfield to use. Currently, the Orioles have some depth in the outfield even without the slugger in the picture, as they have Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, and Heston Kjerstad.
Both Cowser and Kjerstad are young players who are still developing, but have shown some signs of promise. Even though they won’t likely provide the same amount of value as Santander in 2025, they could both become very good players in the league.
Won’t Be Cheap
Over the past number of years, the Orioles haven’t been big spenders at all in free agency. However, with new ownership, that will likely change, but it’s hard to imagine with all the talent in the lineup that Baltimore is going to hand a contract near $100 million to Santander, even though he is a great player.
Must Sign Burnes
The first thing the Orioles have to do this season before anything else is hand a blank check over to their ace Corbin Burnes. The right-hander is going to be the most highly sought-after pitcher in free agency, and rightfully so.
Baltimore got a first-hand look at how good and how important he was to the team in 2024, and they must bring him back. Pursuing Santander would likely result in the Orioles trying to save some money on a Burnes contract, and that is simply something they cannot do.
All available assets in free agency should go to pitching, as Baltimore should have plenty of hitting to compete without Santander.
