The Baltimore Orioles face some tough challenges this offseason.
They have numerous key pieces entering free agency and Baltimore doesn’t have a proven track history of being a big spender.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently made his predictions for each of the top 25 free agents in this winter’s free agency class.
Kelly predicted the New York Mets would sign Orioles ace Corbin Burnes, which would place Baltimore in a very tough spot.
The Orioles would need to find a new ace, preferably one with a track record of postseason success.
Luckily for them, the free agency class is loaded with that talent and Kelly has the perfect answer for Baltimore: left-handed pitcher Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves. Kelly projects Fried to Baltimore on a six-year, $168 million deal.
“Max Fried may be more likely to make 28 starts a year than 33, but since undergoing Tommy John surgery as a prospect in 2014, he’s avoided any catastrophic injuries.
And in the process, he’s become one of the best pitchers in baseball,” Kelly wrote. ”
Since the start of the 2020 season, he is 54-25 with a 2.81 ERA and 3.11 FIP. Over that period, he’s posted two top-five finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting, including runner-up to Sandy Alcántara in 2022.”
Fried is one of the most criminally underrated pitchers in the game.
If the Orioles lose out on Burnes, which they aren’t waving the white flag on just yet, signing Fried would be quite the replacement. Kelly also predicts Fried will sign for a year less than Burnes while making $56 million less.
