Despite limping into the playoffs down the stretch, the Baltimore Orioles will be playing October baseball once again this fall.
After an awesome start to the season, the Orioles have struggled for a few months now, as they have been hovering around and below .500 for quite some time. However, baseball is a long season and Baltimore was one of the best teams in the league for the first few months of the year.
This October is going to be an important one for the Orioles, as they will have a few key players hitting free agency after the campaign. While Baltimore is still very young with a lot of talent, losing players in free agency as a playoff team is never ideal.
In the starting rotation, Corbin Burnes will be a free agent after the season, and as one of the best starting pitchers set to be available this offseason, he will be asking for a big contract. In addition to Burnes hitting free agency, outfielder Anthony Santander will also be a free agent.
Santander is having an excellent season for the Orioles, as his bat is a big reason why their lineup is one to be feared.
Recently, Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report spoke about some potential landing spots in free agency for the star outfield, as he doesn’t seem to believe that Santander will be in Baltimore next season.
“His contributions to the Orioles over the last two seasons are immeasurable. Still, with a pipeline of young players looking to make an impact for the organization, it is highly likely that the right-fielder heads elsewhere this offseason.”
Since the Orioles have a lot of talented young hitters in the organization, if they are going to spend money this offseason, it likely won’t be on hitting.
Santander is certainly deserving of getting a big contract from Baltimore, but it just doesn’t seem realistic at this point. This year has shown the Orioles need to add some pitching, and if they are going to spend a ton of money in free agency, it will likely be to try and keep Burnes.
If Santander does leave, it will be a significant blow to their offense, as he is one of the best power hitters in baseball this season. While free agency will certainly be on the mind of the veteran outfielder and Baltimore, they will have to remain focused to make the most out of this October.
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