2 free agents, 2 trades for the Orioles to consider after brutal Kyle Bradish injury

With Kyle Bradish out indefinitely, the Baltimore Orioles should look to add another starting pitcher either in free agency or via trade.

Oct 7, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish (39) looks on / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

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3) The Orioles should sign Hyun-Jin Ryu after Kyle Bradish's injury

It's hard seeing the Orioles shelling out a nine-figure deal to lure one of Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery to Baltimore, but that doesn't mean they can't be open to exploring options on the free agent market. A pitcher like Hyun-Jin Ryu might not be as exciting as Cease or any of the high-end free agents out there, but he should be an upgrade over in-house options like Cole Irvin or Jonathan Heasley.

Ryu's biggest issue has been staying healthy. He's made 30+ starts just twice in his ten-year MLB career, and has combined to make 17 starts in the last two seasons. While that doesn't sound great, when healthy, Ryu is still quite good.

This past season for Toronto, the southpaw posted a 3.46 ERA in 11 starts and 52 innings of work. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but commands the zone extremely well and limits runs at a high rate. Home runs have been a bit of an issue for him in each of the last two seasons, but Ryu making the transition from Rogers Centre to the now way more pitcher-friendly Camden Yards should help with that.

What makes a Ryu deal appealing is it'll only be for one year and won't break the bank financially. If he gets hurt or doesn't pitch well, the Orioles don't risk much by bringing him aboard. If he pitches well, suddenly they have a really strong fifth starter to give the ball to. Ryu has experience pitching in the AL East and has nine postseason starts under the belt over the course of his career.

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