Fresh off a 101-win season that saw the Orioles capture their first American League East title since 2014, a young and hungry Baltimore squad will be faced with a new level of expectations.
Former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden picked the Orioles to represent the American League in the World Series against the Atlanta Braves.
“This team is ready. You look at the American League, I think there are three elite teams. I think there’s Baltimore, Houston and Texas,” Bowden said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 8. “… I think Baltimore has as good a chance as the other two of not only getting to the World Series but winning it. Baltimore really doesn’t have many weaknesses.”
Many observers emphasized the need for a top-of-the-rotation arm after the Texas Rangers scored seven runs per game in a three-game sweep of the Orioles in the ALDS. One day after the club announced a pending ownership change, the Orioles got exactly that. The Orioles traded infielder Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher DL Hall and a draft pick to Milwaukee in exchange for former National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
Despite the timing of the trade, GM Mike Elias said he worked with John Angelos in completing the deal.
Burnes figures to headline a rotation consisting of Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer. Bowden views Burnes as the final piece, citing teams that recently won the World Series immediately after acquiring an ace. Burnes has only one year of club control remaining, so this move represents an all-in mentality.
“They needed to go get Burnes. They needed that final piece,” said Bowden, an analyst for MLB Network Radio, CBS Sports HQ and The Athletic. “That’s what the Cubs needed when they got Jon Lester. That’s what the Nationals needed when they got Max Scherzer. That’s what the Astros needed when they got Justin Verlander. And that’s what the Orioles needed when they got Corbin Burnes.”
Burnes saw his strikeout rate decrease and his walk rate increase in each of the last two seasons since winning the Cy Young in 2021 but is still as effective and reliable as they come. The 29-year-old posted a 3.39 ERA and struck out 200 batters in 193.2 innings last season. Burnes made 33 and 32 starts in the last two seasons, respectively.
The Burnes trade generated a lot of headlines, but the engines powering the Orioles’ success are their franchise cornerstones, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. The Kansas City Royals recently agreed to an 11-year, $288 million extension with star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., prompting discussions of whether the Orioles could do similar deals with Rutschman and Henderson.
The Orioles’ young core also includes Jackson Holliday, baseball’s consensus top prospect who is expected to debut in 2024. Henderson and Holliday are clients of Scott Boras, who is notorious for encouraging his players to test free agency.
But Bowden, who negotiated with Boras during his time as a GM, dismissed the notion that Boras wouldn’t allow his client to sign a long-term extension before ever hitting the open market.
“If the player wants to be there and the player wants the deal, he’ll sign the deal,” Bowden said. “… If [Henderson and Holliday] want to be there and they can get a market or above-market deal … they can do it. So really it’s a matter of where do the new owners stand on committing that kind of money?”
Rutschman is eligible for arbitration in one year. Henderson is two years away from arbitration. Holliday is three years away if he remains on the big league roster all season. Bowden doesn’t think the Orioles should prioritize any one of the three over the others — it’s just a matter of who is willing to take a long-term deal.
“If I were sitting there advising owners, I would do everything in my power to make the priority Henderson, Rutschman, Holliday, even above Corbin Burnes,” he said. “I need those three tied up because with those three tied up, I should be competitive for years to come.”
One area Bowden is skeptical about with respect to this year’s team is the back end of the bullpen. The Orioles won 30 one-run games last season, the most in the American League.
In response to losing Félix Bautista for the entirety of the 2024 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the Orioles signed nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year deal with a club option for 2025. The 35-year-old posted a 3.26 ERA and posted 23 saves with Philadelphia in 2023.
But as Bowden pointed out, many contending teams have a need for more bullpen help. Baltimore has the assets to pursue upgrades in that department during the season.
“It’s an area that you can improve later on,” he said. “The one thing about the Orioles — they’re not just built at the major league level, they’re built all the way through the system. So when you want to go get a piece, don’t worry about getting a piece, it will be sitting there for you at a price that will be reasonable based on the depth in the farm system.”
For more from Bowden, listen to the full interview here:
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