The Baltimore Orioles’ offseason was a mixed bag. While they added a few key pieces such as Tyler O’Neill, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton, they also lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander.
They had traded for Burnes last year to boost their rotation, but Burnes had only one year left on his contract and is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The team is in need of a top-level starting pitcher that will give them the chance to win in the postseason. The perfect fit could be on the trade market this summer, as Sandy Alcantara has appeared in early rumors.
Sports Grid predicts that the Orioles will be one of the top suitors for the Miami Marlins’ ace.
“The Baltimore Orioles, who missed making a splash in the offseason, could see Alcantara as the missing piece for a playoff push. With prospects like Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo, the Orioles could assemble a compelling offer.”
The Orioles could certainly benefit from having an arm like Alcantara at the top of their rotation. They need somebody who can eat innings and be trusted to start big games.
Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, missed the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he owns a 3.72 ERA in his first two starts this season.
He’ll command quite a package, but the Orioles have a logjam of position players and not enough pitching. They could clear some of it out by trading some prospects and adding Alcantara.
The two-time All-Star also has two more years of club control plus a club option for 2027, so the Orioles, if they acquire him could dictate how long they have him around.
It will be interesting to see if Baltimore can put together a strong offer for the right-hander.