Batilmore Target Elite Arm: Meeting With Two-Time Cy Young Champ

The Baltimore Orioles have a major need in their starting rotation.

With Corbin Burnes hitting the open market and the duo of Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells still rehabbing from their season-ending surgeries they underwent this past campaign, there are holes to fill ahead of Opening Day.

How the Orioles operate this winter will be different than what they did last year.

General manager Mike Elias knew he just needed one top-of-the-rotation arm ahead of the 2024 season to take them to the next level, but as they get ready for the upcoming campaign, there are major question marks regarding who will be in their group of five.

Baltimore will push to re-sign Burnes.

Elias has made it clear they will stay in contact amid his conversations with other teams, but despite the organization wanting to get him back, it still seems unlikely they will be able to do that.

If that’s the case, where would the Orioles turn as a Plan B option?

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, they are expected to continue their pursuit of a high-profile player, putting two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell in their sights.

“It is possible Snell also met, or will meet, with the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and other clubs seeking a top-end starter. He surely wants an earlier resolution in free agency than he had last offseason, when he did not sign with the San Francisco Giants until March 19,” the insider reports.

That’s quite the news drop.

Snell was reportedly searching for a $300-plus million contract last winter before teams balked to the point where he signed a “prove it” deal with the San Francisco Giants late in the process.

Because of that, he performed poorly during the early portion of the season, marred by two stints on the injured list. At that point, he didn’t seem like he’d hit the open market, instead deciding to opt into his player option that would pay him handsomely.

But with a ridiculously elite close to the year, Snell has set himself up for a massive payday.

It seems unlikely that would come from the Orioles, though.

If they aren’t willing to meet the top-of-the-market asking price that Burnes is expected to receive, then doing so to land someone like Snell who has no experience with their clubhouse and has a history of shaky performances, would be strange on the surface.

Right now, this is the rumor portion of the Hot Stove.

Things are beginning to heat up, but until the owner meetings get underway in December, there is only a lot of speculation about the elite free agent players.

Because Baltimore has put themselves into contender status and have clear holes on their roster, they will continue to be mentioned as suitors for those same players.

Still, it’s a positive sign that Rosenthal is reporting the Orioles are at least planning on meeting with Snell at some point this winter.