The Baltimore Orioles were one of the best teams in the league in 2024, but they face an uphill battle to return to that same level of play heading into 2025.

Why, you may ask? The Orioles have nine free agents this offseason. A few of them were negative WAR players, so those losses won’t sting.

Then, there are a few mid-tier players that the Orioles are set to lose that they could replace internally or even explore the option of signing them back. But Baltimore is also set to lose ace Corbin Burnes and home run leader Anthony Santander.

Burnes would be the biggest loss and he’s anticipated to sign a mega-contract with a bigger market this free agency. But MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand listed Burnes as a player that Baltimore could re-sign this offseason, noting that the ownership would have to pay him a pretty penny to keep him in town.

“Burnes delivered everything the Orioles could have hoped for when they acquired him last offseason, going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts,” Feinsand wrote. “Burnes will be the most sought-after arm on the market this winter, so new ownership will have to make a major financial commitment to keep him in Baltimore.”

Spotrac projects Burnes to sign a six-year contract worth $180 million this winter, but honestly, I could see him signing for a bit more than that.

He’s the top arm of the free agent class and he should remain in his prime for the next four, five, or six years. He could easily land a deal north of $200 million if the bidding war gets aggressive.

Baltimore has a chance to re-sign him, but with bigger markets like the New York Mets involved, it’s quite an uphill battle for Baltimore’s front office to retain its ace this winter.