Saturday Bird Droppings: Changes coming to the bullpen
The non-tender deadline has passed, the Baysox have a new logo, and scoping out the free agent arms.
Good Morning, Birdland!
It feels like the offseason is truly starting to kick off now. Nearly all of the players that were given the qualifying offer are now free agents. The non-tender deadline has passed, which created another batch of interesting free agents. Even a somewhat big trade went down between the Reds and Royals. Things are happening!
The Orioles are still hanging out in the background, with most teams. They did see Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander turn down the QO earlier in the week, and then on Friday the front office decided against tendering Jacob Webb a contract for 2025. The Webb news was somewhat surprising, but not earth-shaking. Middle relievers, unfortunately, occupy the most volatile and replaceable position in the sport. This is the second time that we have learned that reality this offseason, the first was when the Orioles declined a team option on lefty Danny Coulombe earlier in November.
If we are trying to read between the lines, it certainly feels like Mike Elias is angling to rebuild the bullpen in some way this winter, preferably one that is more flexible than it was in 2024. Webb and Coulombe were both good for the Orioles, and they were both out of minor league options. Replacing them with younger players could serve to deepen the ‘pen overall and also avoid any sort of negative regression that may have been coming for those two.
What also seems a fair estimation in relation to these moves is that the Orioles will not be investing too many free agent dollars into their bullpen this winter. They already have some pricey arms in the relief corps. Seranthony DomÃnguez is due $8 million in 2025. Gregory Soto is projected to get $5.6 million in arbitration. The fact that Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano are still so cheap is a nice makeweight in that regard. But it’s not so much the money as it is the flexibility concern. Veteran free agents are inherently rigid. They don’t ride the Norfolk shuttle. And it’s not like there are a ton of options out there that are going to be undoubtedly better than Webb or Coulombe would have been for much cheaper in 2025.
So, what happens next? In the bullpen, probably not much. Expect Elias to do some dumpster diving on the periphery of the roster. Maybe there will be a veteran that is still available on the cheap come February. Otherwise, the O’s are probably rocking with what they have plus some guys we have never heard of. That seems fine, and it puts the team in a position where they can evaluate things throughout 2025 and look to bolster the bullpen by the time the trade deadline rolls around in July.
