2 free agents, 2 trades for the Orioles to consider after brutal Kyle Bradish injury
One of the great stories that came from last season was the emergence of right-hander Kyle Bradish who came out of nowhere and pitched like one of the best starting pitchers in the American League.
Bradish posted a sparkling 2.83 ERA in 30 starts and 168.2 innings of work, finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting. The 27-year-old was a huge reason why the Baltimore Orioles were able to win 100 games and win their first AL East division title since 2014.
The Orioles made a massive trade this offseason to pair Bradish with another one of the game's best starting pitchers, Corbin Burnes. It looked like the Orioles suddenly had the best rotation in the AL with Burnes, Bradish, and budding star Grayson Rodriguez leading the way, but a torn UCL has compromised Bradish's availability. He's going to try and pitch through the injury, but Bradish is going to begin the season on the IL and is without a clear timetable to return.
Tough news out of Orioles camp: Right-hander Kyle Bradish, who had the best second-half ERA in the American League among starters at 2.34, is hitting the injured list with a tear in his UCL. Bradish had a PRP shot, plans to continue throwing and will try to pitch through it.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 15, 2024
With Bradish out, the Orioles should make another move to re-fortify a now lingering rotation. John Means being behind his throwing schedule means Baltimore could potentially be without two of their five projected Opening Day starters. Signing a free agent like Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell sounds ideal, but it seems unlikely that the O's would go down that road. There are, however, a pair of free agents and some trade targets that the Orioles can consider with Bradish out.
4) The Orioles should trade for Dylan Cease after Kyle Bradish's injury
The Orioles felt like a likely landing spot for Dylan Cease even before they traded for Corbin Burnes, and he still made sense for them after pulling off the Burnes trade. Now, with Bradish out, Cease makes even more sense for an Orioles team trying to win the World Series in 2024.
The Orioles had the best farm system in the majors before executing the Burnes deal, and it can be argued that they still do even after losing Joey Ortiz and D.L. Hall in the trade. Jackson Holliday would not be available in a trade for Cease (or anybody), but anybody else including Top-100 prospects Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, and Heston Kjerstad should be made available for a talent like Cease.
What made Cease arguably more interesting for a team like the Orioles than Burnes was his extra year of control. Instead of entering free agency this offseason like Burnes, Cease is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. He'd give the Orioles a great chance to win now while also acting as a safety net of sorts if Burnes leaves after the season.
Is a Cease trade likely? Absolutely not. However, pulling off this kind of deal can keep the Orioles in the driver's seat to win the AL East for a second straight season even with Bradish beginning the season on the sidelines.