MLB rumors: Braves trade dead? Yankees Cease backups, Orioles locked on ace

MLB Rumors: Orioles interested in signing this ace

It's been a relatively quiet offseason for the Baltimore Orioles which is disappointing because they just won 101 games before being swept in the ALDS. Baltimore signed Craig Kimbrel to improve the bullpen, but have yet to address their big weakness, the top of the rotation.

The Orioles got an outstanding season out of Kyle Bradish and saw real improvement out of Grayson Rodriguez, but they'd benefit from a veteran being inserted into the top of their rotation. While a trade for an arm like Dylan Cease is the dream scenario, he likely costs more than Baltimore would be willing to give up.

When looking at the free agency market, all eyes are on arms like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. While Baltimore won't hand out those massive nine-figure deals, there are still some solid arms for them to look at, including Marcus Stroman. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com says that Stroman's market could begin to heat up once arms like Snell, Montgomery, and Shota Imanaga make their decisions. Once his market does take shape, the Orioles are a team he says has been connected to this right-hander.

Stroman would give the Orioles an arm they can rely on to pitch fairly deep into games and give them a chance to win virtually every time out. He has postseason experience which would help this group of youngsters, and he has a history of performing well in the AL East thanks to his years with the Blue Jays.

Stroman isn't the flashy name Orioles fans might've hoped for, but he's a very realistic option for Mike Elias to pursue. Slotting him alongside the likes of Bradish and Rodriguez would give Baltimore a very formidable top three as they look to make a run to the World Series.