The Baltimore Orioles are once again eyeing the top tier of the pitching market, after securing ace Corbin Burnes last season. With Burnes potentially exploring long-term contract offers that Baltimore might find hard to match, the Orioles could be preparing for life without him.

Enter Max Fried, a steady and reliable left-hander whose consistent performance over the past few years makes him an attractive, potentially more affordable option than Burnes.

However, another intriguing possibility for the Orioles is two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. Snell’s journey over the last year has been a rollercoaster.

After seeking a long-term $200 million deal, Snell found himself signing a two-year contract with San Francisco late in the off-season, with the option to opt out after the first year.

One major plus for teams considering Snell this offseason is the absence of a qualifying offer, which means the Orioles wouldn’t lose draft picks by signing him.

Moreover, his price tag might be more palatable than the one he and agent Scott Boras pitched last year.

Snell’s game comes with both highs and lows, but those highs are tantalizing. Since 2022, Snell ranks second in strikeout percentage in all of baseball, boasting an intimidating 32.4 percent as per FanGraphs.

With a career rate of 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, he remains one of the most formidable strikeout pitchers in the game. Yet, Snell’s control on the mound can be erratic, reflected in his ranking as the second-highest in walk percentage since 2022, with a notable career BB/9 rate of 4.1.

In terms of workload, Snell has yet to surpass 200 innings in a single season, his career-best being 180.2 innings. He’s crossed the 30-start threshold only twice—during both of his Cy Young-winning campaigns.

Despite these limitations, the allure of his high strikeout rate and past accolades make him a compelling candidate for Baltimore.

For the Orioles, pursuing Snell seems like a logical step, especially if Burnes opts for greener pastures. Snell would bring the kind of experience and prowess that Baltimore desperately needs.

With promising talent like Grayson Rodriguez in the rotation, and veteran steadiness from Zach Eflin, Snell could elevate the Orioles into a serious playoff threat.

His familiarity with the AL East is another layer of appeal, potentially making him an ideal fit for a team hungry for its first World Series title in decades.