Report: O's still seeking upgrades amid underwhelming offseason
The Baltimore Orioles still have some work to do this winter if they want to dethrone the New York Yankees atop the AL East.
Baltimore's front office is continuing to look for ways to upgrade the club's roster through free agency and trades, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The team reportedly added 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 35-year-old Japanese rookie Tomoyuki Sugano to its rotation after ace Corbin Burnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Morton and Sugano will make a combined $28 million in 2025.
Outfielder Tyler O'Neill also joined Baltimore on a three-year, $49.5-million contract with Silver Slugger Anthony Santander testing the open market. However, the former has an opt-out clause after his first campaign. O'Neill's deal is also the only multi-year pact Orioles general manager Mike Elias has handed out since joining the organization in November 2018.
Former All-Star catcher Gary Sánchez is the last noteworthy addition, but the signing is only a depth move as the 32-year-old will play behind starter Adley Rutschman.
Baltimore is armed with arguably the top farm system in baseball and owns one of the major's best young cores with the likes of Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and Grayson Rodriguez. However, the team is 0-5 in the playoffs over the last two years.
The Orioles went 91-71 last season to finish with the AL's top wild-card spot before getting bounced by the Kansas City Royals in the postseason.