The Baltimore Orioles’ contending window has been pried wide open over the past two seasons, and yet they couldn’t muster a single playoff win during that span.
Regardless, even though they’ve lost starting pitcher Corbin Burnes in free agency, the Orioles should be well-positioned to remain competitive in 2025, especially if they manage to add another starter or two to bolster their rotation depth. To that end, it looks as though they are setting their sights on bringing back a familiar face.
As per Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports, the Orioles are interested in re-signing John Means, a former All-Star who’s been bitten hard by the injury bug over the past few seasons. Since 2022, Means has only pitched in 52.1 innings, starting 10 games during that span.
He’s needed to undergo Tommy John surgery twice, and at this point, it’s unclear what he has left in the tank even though he’s only 31 years of age.
Nonetheless, the Orioles have serious interest in bringing him back, with Kubatko saying that “it would be a mistake” to downplay their interest in re-signing the 31-year-old lefty. However, no one should expect anything fast to move in this regard.
“Means remains a free agent, as expected. A fast deal wasn’t in the cards because he’s recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. The Orioles haven’t closed the door on him. There’s a lot of positive history there. It would be a mistake to downplay their interest. Re-signing him is a possibility. The industry perception is that he probably won’t sign until much later in the offseason,” Kubatko wrote.
There remains a bit of upside in Means, provided of course that he returns to approximately full health after his battle with injuries.
In his last full season back in 2021, he pitched to the tune of a 3.62 ERA in 26 starts (146.2 innings pitched), recording 2.5 WAR (per FanGraphs) in the process.
Can the Orioles win a playoff game in 2025?
The fruits of the Orioles’ rebuild began to sprout in 2023, when they emerged as a powerhouse team thanks to the breakthrough of multiple top prospects, such as Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, among others.
And they still had a few more quality prospects waiting for a chance to blossom, with Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo looking to bounce back after a rough cup of coffee in the big leagues.
The Orioles, however, have failed to perform when it matters the most.
They’ve fallen flat on their face in the playoffs for two consecutive playoff runs, which is something they will want to change in 2025.
Alas, they will have to secure some pitching reinforcements to complement their burgeoning position player core.
Corbin Burnes was priced out of their range, and it’s hard to envision them entering the season having made just one potentially impactful signing (Charlie Morton) to aid their rotation.
Orioles fans should monitor how the team handles their starting pitching situation, as it can make or break their 2025 campaign.
But the goal, first and foremost, for Baltimore is to make the playoffs despite being in the crowded AL East.
