4 big-name moves Orioles could make if new ownership is ready to spend

2. Orioles can await Zack Wheeler's free agency in 2025

The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly prepared to hand Zack Wheeler a major contract next offseason. That said, there's no sure thing in MLB free agency. The current free agent period is almost over. It will take time for ownership to officially change hands and for the new group to settle in. There's a chance Baltimore's so-called big move won't arrive until 2025. But, what a move Zack Wheeler would be.

Wheeler ascended to the No. 1 spot in the Phillies' rotation last season, going 13-6 in 32 starts with a 3.61 ERA and 1.078 WHIP. He was nails in the postseason. Philadelphia leaned on Wheeler all the way to the National League Championship Series, where the Phillies were an untimely offensive collapse away from a second straight World Series berth. The Orioles will want an experienced postseason weapon to help achieve their championship aspirations. Wheeler checks that all-important box.

The 33-year-old registered 212 strikeouts in 192.0 innings pitched last season. Wheeler boasts an extremely low walk rate (5.0 percent) with an average exit velocity of 86.9 MPH, in the 88th percentile. He limits hard contact and works the paint with a trademark poise the Orioles should value. There is natural risk in offering Wheeler guaranteed money into his late 30s or early 40s, but it's past time for the Orioles to supplement their youth with a proper veteran leader.

Wheeler has been where the Orioles want to go. He's only a stone's throw away in Philadelphia, too, so it's an easy switch for him geographically. It would take a lot of money to pry Wheeler away from Philadelphia, but the Phillies spent a lot on Aaron Nola already. Their pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto hints at a potential willingness — maybe even a desire — to plant a younger successor atop their rotation. If Philadelphia wavers, Baltimore should push hard.