It's safe to say that this wasn't what Baltimore Orioles fans had in mind for their team's starting rotation when the offense began.
After a second straight ALDS disappointment, it seemed time for GM Mike Elias to finally take a truly big swing. Instead, he delivered ... more of the same, allowing Corbin Burnes to walk to the Arizona Diamondbacks and not even bothering to pursue any significant names to replace him, instead adding 41-year-old Charlie Morton and Japanese import Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals. It left things in a precarious position as the team reported to spring training.
And sure enough, it proved to be just that. The O's rotation was fine enough at full health; but when Grayson Rodriguez went down with elbow inflammation in camp, and Kyle Bradish mired on the IL, it became a crisis. Mike Elias tried to address that crisis on Friday, bringing back veteran righty Kyle Gibson. But the overall picture is still far from what you want to see for a team with eyes on an AL pennant.
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Orioles projected Opening Day rotation after signing Kyle Gibson
Order | Player |
|---|---|
1. | Zach Eflin |
2. | Charlie Morton |
3. | Dean Kremer |
4. | Tomoyuki Sugano |
5. | Kyle Gibson |
6. | Cade Povich |
7. | Albert Suarez |
Eflin is a perfectly solid second or third starter, but he's a bit overtaxed as the leader of a staff. And things only get sketchier from there: Morton has eaten innings capably for the Atlanta Braves in recent years, but he's still a pitcher in his 40s, and it's hard to know exactly what to expect from him in 2025. It's also hard to know what to expect from Sugano, considering he's yet to pitch in a meaningfully MLB game.
Povich and Saurez are both intriguing back-end candidates if it comes to that, and Gibson is fine enough to have around as insurance over a long season. But the O's were hoping for impact talent this offseason, and instead they've taken a step back.