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The Baltimore Orioles have emerged as a contender in recent seasons. The Orioles have been linked to starting pitchers in MLB free agency as they hope to take another step forward. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, however, the Orioles are “reluctant” to try to sign starting pitchers Max Fried, Sean Manaea and Nick Pivetta. All three pitchers received qualifying offers, and Baltimore seemingly isn't fond of having to surrender a draft pick.
“The team’s hesitance stems from its potential draft position, according to sources briefed on the club’s thinking,” The Athletic article reads. “Signing a free agent with a qualifying offer would require the Orioles to sacrifice their third-highest pick, which likely will end up in the 30s.”
The Orioles would surely love to add a pitcher like Fried or Manaea. Baltimore has done a tremendous job of developing prospects over the years, though, and they are not fans of the idea of having to give up a potential impactful prospect.
What is the qualifying offer?
For those who may not be aware, teams are able to make players a qualifying offer once in their careers. Players who are set to become free agents are eligible for the offer. The offer is always set at a specific amount ($21.05 million for the 2025 season).
Players then have a set amount of time to either accept or decline the offer. If accepted, the player will spend the 2025 season with the team he was made the offer by barring a trade. If declined, though, the player becomes a free agent but is tied to a draft pick. So whichever team signs the player has to surrender a draft pick to the team that made the qualifying offer.
In this specific scenario, the Orioles would surrender their third-highest draft pick to either the Atlanta Braves (Max Fried), New York Mets (Sean Manaea) or the Boston Red Sox (Nick Pivetta).
Orioles' free agency plans
The Orioles may not be trending towards signing any of the three aforementioned pitchers, although anything is possible, but Baltimore still could sign pitchers who are not tied to draft picks. The Athletic article mentioned Nathan Eovaldi as a possibility.
Baltimore has a tremendous core of young players but they would benefit from adding a star or two in MLB free agency. Perhaps the O's will make a splash before the 2025 season gets underway.
