It’s 2025! The Orioles still need an ace, but otherwise it should be a good year.
Happy New Year Birdland,
We made it! The year 2025 is upon us. In just about 45 days, pitchers and catchers will head to spring training, and things will start to feel right again. But until then, we have some waiting to do.
The Orioles have a big year ahead of them. Expectations for this club are going to be relatively high. They have gone to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the late 90s and have retained most of that roster, save for a pair of huge departures. The point remains that these guys SHOULD be pretty good, and while they do have holes, there is still time to fill them.
There isn’t much cooking there at the moment. We all know that Corbin Burnes (along with many of the biggest names on the move) are gone. The latest reporting indicates that the Orioles are looking into a potential reunion with Jack Flaherty, a possibility that the right-handed pitcher would be open to. That would not be an overly exciting addition. In fact, many in the fan base would hate it. Flaherty would probably improve the rotation. It just doesn’t raise the team’s ceiling all that much.
A far more intriguing avenue would be pulling off a trade with the Seattle Mariners for one of their arms. The cost in prospects would likely be heavy, and it would be to a fellow AL team, which could come back to bite future Orioles teams. That is a Mike Elias nightmare, and therefore I do not expect it to happen.
So, what’s the move? Nothing would shock me. Standing pat and heading into the season with Zach Eflin leading the rotation feels entirely possible. And it’s just as likely for Elias to pull a rabbit out of his hat like he did last year. The guy has recently been moving in the shadows each winter and emerging with a 90+ win team come spring. That won’t change in 2025.
Links
The Orioles must get good at being good | The Baltimore Banner
I actually have to do this as a fan too. I became sentient about the Orioles in 1999 or 2000. The Orioles I grew up with were awful, and they were how I learned to watch baseball. I have no inherent understanding of cheering for a good team. I still have to stop myself from naturally thinking “Hey, at least we kept it close” during a loss or simply assuming that facing an ace means an auto loss for the Birds.
Could recent signings provide framework for a Santander deal? | Steve Melewski
Sure! Santander is probably going to land a deal with an AAV similar to the qualifying offer but over four years. That’s a huge win for him! And it nets the O’s a draft pick while they (hopefully) replace Santander’s output with Tyler O’Neill.
Which moves might Orioles make before Opening Day? | Baltimore Baseball
The Orioles will likely do none of the things asked in this question. Are you familiar with Elias’ work?
Orioles Sign Nick Gordon To Minors Contract | MLB Trade Rumors
Hey, it’s something! Gordon was horrid for the Marlins last year. But he is an MLB veteran, so it’s a perfectly logical addition to the organization. Now, if he plays significant big league innings in 2025, we may be in trouble.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Xavier Avery turns 35. An intriguing outfield prospect for the O’s in the early 2010s, he played in just 32 games for them, all of which came in 2012. Avery was dealt to the Mariners in 2013 for Mike Morse.
- Fernando Tatís Sr. is 50 today. The highlight of his career is undoubtedly when he, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, hit two grand slams in one inning against Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Chan Ho Park. Tatís is still the only MLB player to achieve that feat. His time in Baltimore was far less noteworthy, lasting just 28 games in 2006.
- The late Foster Castleman (b. 1931, d. 2020) was born on this day. The infielder appeared in 98 games for the Orioles during the 1958 season.
This day in O’s history
Little has happened in Orioles history on the first day of the year, according to Baseball Reference. Maybe that changes this year. In case it doesn’t, here are some occurrences from beyond Birdland on this date:
1902 – The first American college football bowl game is held in Pasadena, California between Michigan and Stanford.
1934 – Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay becomes a US federal prison.
1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
2024 – Copyright protection of Steamboat Willie, Disney’s original Mickey Mouse, expires and it enters the public domain.