One offseason move each MLB team needs to make

Baltimore Orioles: Extend Jonathan Schoop

While the Orioles absolutely have to rebuild three-fifths of their starting rotation, there are no great options that stand out in a thin class. It’s also unclear whether owner Peter Angelos will be serious about spending on pitching. He has never given out a deal worth more than $50 million to a starter, and that was for Ubaldo Jimenez, an absolute disaster. In the current market, a team simply cannot expect to spend less than $50 million to sign a quality starter.

Dan Duquette will figure something out with the pitching, for better or worse. He has also made comments about attempting to extend All-Star third baseman Manny Machado. Good luck with that, Danno. Unless Machado is offered upwards of $300 million, he’s testing free agency next winter.

The Orioles have already failed on multiple attempts to lock Machado up to a team-friendly contract. It would have happened by now if either side was very serious about getting something done. Over the past six years of winning baseball with their current core, the Orioles have not done a very good job of locking up their young talent. That’s the lifeblood of a team that plays in a mid-market city like Baltimore.

All-Star second baseman Jonathan Schoop is a candidate this winter for an extension, and the Orioles should do everything in their power to buy out a few years of his free agency. Schoop is coming off his first 30-homer, 100-RBI year and has hit .280/.316/.479 with 72 home runs over the past three years. He made big strides as a professional hitter this year with his discipline at the plate.