The Baltimore Orioles have not exactly upgraded their shaky starting rotation this off-season. They lost ace Corbin Burnes. They signed 41-year-old Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, 35, completely unproven in America to help.
That’s not going to cut it. There’s a Plan B — as in Baltimore and bullpen — that can.
The Orioles can construct a better staff without breaking the bank on a starter. Plan B would be signing two remaining free agents, neither a starter.
Left-hander Tanner Scott and right-hander Kirby Yates would complement right-handers Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano quite nicely in the bullpen.
Have the starters do what they can for four or five innings, getting expected run support from the team’s young and powerful offense. Then the bolstered bullpen can slam the door. Nothing new.
Scott is going to cost money, though not what Burnes or other top-level starters are getting. The 29-year-old is reportedly seeking a contract around $60 million for four years. Burnes got $210 million over six years from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Scott was drafted and developed by Baltimore. He had his best season in 2024, what the Orioles envisioned when they tried to get him to command a 100-mph fastball and devastating slider. That did not happen enough in Baltimore. He was traded to Miami just before the 2022 season.
He broke through in 2024: a 1.75 ERA, 22 saves and 9-6 record over 72 games for Miami and the San Diego Padres. Lefties hit only .132 against him; right-handers hit .197. The Padres got him at the trading deadline for their stretch run to the playoffs. He did not allow a run in five post-season outings.
The New York Mets are reportedly ready to make an offer. Baltimore should, too, and bring him “home”.
Bombastic Baltimore Bullpen
Scott is in his prime. He could be as dominating from the left side as right-hander Bautista was in 2022-23. In 121 games, the 6-foot-8, 285-pounder from the Dominican Republic had a 1.85 ERA and 48 saves. He missed the final month of the 2023 season, had Tommy John surgery and rehabbed all of 2024.
BALTIMORE: Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole … [+]
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General Manager Mike Elias said Bautista, 26, will have no restrictions on him when spring training begins next month. Before getting hurt, the big guy held right-handed batters to a .170 batting average. Incredibly, he was more devastating against left-handers. They hit a paltry .133.
Yates could complete the mix. He’s never started a game yet been remarkably consistent when healthy. In 10 seasons with six teams overall, he has held right-handers to a .197 batting average and lefties to .196.
Cano, 30, was an all-star in 2023 as Bautista’s main setup man, compiling a 2.11 ERA with eight saves and 31 holds in 72 appearances. In 70 outings in 2024: 3.15, 5 saves, 34 holds. The 65 total holds led the majors the past two seasons.
Seranthony Dominguez, 30, had 10 saves for Baltimore after being acquired from Philadelphia in July. In 255 relief appearances, the right-hander has 38 saves and been a solid setup man. In 17 post-season outings for the Phils, he went 2-0 with 1 save and 1.02 ERA.
Gregory Soto, 29, also acquired from the Phillies, was a two-time all-star for the Detroit Tigers when he totaled 48 saves in 2021-22. The lefty has worked 314 career games in relief. When he throws strikes, he’s effective.
BALTIMORE: Cionel Perez of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after getting a key out in the ninth inning … [+]
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The also applies to lefty Cionel Perez. The 29-year-old has a 13-3 record, 6 saves and 3.12 ERA in 193 outings for the Orioles. He struggled in previous trials with Houston and Cincinnati despite outstanding stuff.
Keegan Akin emerged as another dependable lefty last year, going 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 97 strikeouts to 19 walks in 60 relief outings.
The Starting Staff
Grayson Rodriguez, 24, was shut down in September with a strained side. He’s healthy and expects to build upon his 13-4 record of 2024. Zach Eflin went 5-2 after being acquired at the trading deadline and is the likely No. 2. Dean Kremer (8-10 in 2024) or Albert Suarez (9-7) would join Morton and Sugano at the backend.
Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are not expected back until midseason. Bradish had Tommy John surgery last June. He was 2-0 at the time after going 12-7 in 2023. Wells had elbow surgery in May. On July 8, 2023, he had a 7-4 record and 3.18. After that he went 0-4 in 10 games, six of them starts.
What A Relief
Building better bullpens is a modern trend. The Los Angeles Dodgers won it all last year with a deep relief corps and shaky starting staff decimated by injuries. The team used 40 pitchers overall and 16 of them made at least one start.
During the regular season, 11 Dodgers made 20 or more relief appearances. That group went a combined 40-23 with 39 saves. Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson combined for 28 saves.
LOS ANGELES: Blake Treinen reacts after saving the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win over the New York Mets … [+]
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The trio of Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia and trading-deadline addition Michael Kopech were a combined 16-6 with 12 saves and 1.70 earned run average. In 137 innings overall those three allowed only 75 hits and struck out 173. That continued in 27 combined post-season innings: 3-0, 4 saves, and a 2.00 ERA.
Five Guys Fry Opponents
The Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central last year with five key relievers posting ERAs under 2:
Emmanuel Clase: 4-2, 0.61 ERA, 47 saves.
Hunter Gaddis: 6-3, 1.57 ERA.
Cade Smith: 6-1, 1.91 ERA, 1 save.
Tim Herrin, 5-1, 1.92 ERA.
Eli Morgan, 3-0, 1.93 ERA.
Add in relievers Nick Sandlin (8-0), Pedro Avila (5-1) and Scott Barlow (3-3) each with more innings and higher ERAs than Morgan, and the main bullpen had 40 of Cleveland’s 90 wins.
When Cleveland went to the World Series in 2016, they had five starters with 11 or more wins. The bullpen, solid all season, was exceptional in the postseason.
Closer Cody Allen (3-5, 32 saves, 2.51 ERA in regular season) did not allow a post-season run in 13 2/3 innings, striking out 24.
Lefty setup man Andrew Miller (4-0, 3 saves, 1.55 ERA after being acquired at the trading deadline) went 2-0 with a save, 1.40 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.
Getting Nasty 35 Years Ago
In 1990, the Cincinnati Reds won it all with the bullpen trio of Randy Myers, Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble dominating. In the regular season, they totaled 18 wins, 44 saves and 291 strikeouts with a 2.14 ERA across 235 1/3 relief innings. Charlton also had a 2.60 ERA and 6 wins in 16 starts.
OAKLAND: The Cincinnati Reds their four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics to win the 1990 World … [+]
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In the postseason, the nicknamed “Nasty Boys” were just that. They gave up one run over a combined 26 2/3 innings for a 0.34 ERA. They went a combined 2-1 with 5 saves, only 11 hits allowed and 27 strikeouts.
The Baltimore Orioles need to sign couple of stalwart relievers and get even nastier.
