Baltimore Orioles Predicted to Land Former Rays Reliever in Free Agency
The Baltimore Orioles could attempt another bullpen upgrade this offseason by going for an exceptional reliever.
One thing that the Baltimore Orioles will have to negotiate this season is their new-look bullpen due of Felix Bautista’s elbow injury that prompted him to need Tommy John surgery.
The finest closer in the American League is going to miss the entire 2024 season, leaving the Orioles with a significant vacuum in their relief staff.
They signed experienced closer, Craig Kimbrel, to offset Bautista’s absence.
But, ESPN Senior Writer, David Schoenfield, is projecting Baltimore isn’t done acquiring relievers and has them signing Robert Stephenson.
“Even though the Orioles hired Kimbrel to replace the injured Felix Bautista, Stephenson matches their price point and he advanced to the next level once he introduced a cutter with the Tampa Bay Rays. I’d rather have Stephenson on a three-year, $30 million contract than Hader on something close to nine figures,” he writes.
To Schoenfield’s point, the 30-year-old posted an ERA of 2.35 with the Tampa Bay Rays over his 42 appearances. They acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates after Stephenson produced a 5.14 ERA in 18 games.
What the Orioles need to navigate is how they think Stephenson projects moving ahead if they do hand him $10 million per year.
Before his career revival with the Rays last season, he previously struggled in his last three locations, posting an ERA of 5.15 with the Cincinnati Reds, 4.57 with the Colorado Rockies and 4.28 with the Pirates.
Maybe that new cutter is all he needed to become an excellent reliever.
He struck out 60 batters over 38 1/3 innings pitched in Tampa Bay, his highest strikeout per nine ratio of his career.
A three-year pact also permits him to work with Baltimore’s coaching staff that has proven an aptitude to create effective Major League pitchers. When Bautista comes back, he would still be part of this bullpen and may become a significant element.
Whether GM Mike Elias is genuinely looking at Stephenson and considering signing him has not been published, but Schoenfield feels this would be a perfect fit and is forecasting it occurs.
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