Jackson Holliday is one of several Orioles players who may not return following another disappointing early postseason exit.
The expectation for the 2024 Baltimore Orioles was plainly clear: they were meant to make a deep postseason run. The 2023 season was a pleasant surprise, although the Orioles were expected to compete for the championship in 2024. After all, that is one of the primary reasons they traded for Corbin Burnes’ expiring contract.
Unfortunately, they were eliminated in an exceedingly frustrating manner in the Wild Card Series. They scored only one run in the two games, and they lost both at home.
This kind of failure should cause substantial reforms in Baltimore. No, Jackson Holliday, their disappointing former top prospect, is unlikely to be among the changes, but there are several players who should not return.
FanSided’s Zach Pressnell highlighted three Orioles who will almost probably not return, including Adrian Houser, JD Davis, and Austin Slater, but even more changes will be required given how poorly the season ended.
4) Seranthony Dominguez is not worth his lucrative club option
At the trade deadline, the Orioles made multiple moves to try to improve their squad, including acquiring Seranthony Dominguez from the Philadelphia Phillies. Their bullpen performed so poorly that he was even closing games for Baltimore, but simply put, he isn’t good enough for that role or his $8 million club option.
Dominguez had some nice moments with the Orioles, converting ten of his eleven save opportunities, but he also surrendered six home runs in only 22.2 innings, and walks were an issue.
Felix Bautista’s return will be a significant boost to the Orioles bullpen, but if they’re going to spend $8 million on a reliever, they can and should do much better than Dominguez, who has had durability issues and has been inconsistent on the field throughout his six-year career.
3) The Orioles can do a lot better than Gregory Soto
The Gregory Soto trade did not age as horribly as the figures indicate. He did had a 5.09 ERA in 23 appearances and 17.2 innings with Baltimore, but he wasn’t quite as awful as those figures suggested.
Soto allowed eight of his ten earned runs in two of his first three games with Baltimore. In his next 19 appearances, Soto allowed only three earned runs in 16.1 innings of work, establishing a 1.10 ERA. Obviously, the two awful outings he endured to begin his Orioles tenure cannot be forgiven, but he pitched brilliantly down the stretch.
With that considered, Soto is another reliever who is much too expensive for Baltimore to consider keeping. He made $5 million this season and is entering his third year of arbitration this offseason, so he should see an increase from there. Soto was far from brilliant during parts of two seasons with the Phillies, and his command struggles with the Detroit Tigers were particularly shocking.
This boils down to the Orioles getting more bang for their buck at Soto’s price point in the bullpen market, or having an extra $6 million or so to spend on another position. Soto was better than the numbers indicate, but he was mostly pitching in low-leverage situations, and his track record does not suggest he deserves a larger role.
2) The Eloy Jimenez experiment never made any sense
The Orioles made several risky moves at the trade deadline, including acquiring Eloy Jimenez. While Jimenez’s talent has never been in doubt, his ability to stay healthy and consistently produce has been a concern. In six seasons, he has played 100 or more games only twice, and despite his potential, has only one season with 20 or more home runs, which came in 2019.
Jimenez was brought in to share the designated hitter role with Ryan O’Hearn, but the plan didn’t pan out. He posted a disappointing .232/.270/.316 slash line with just one home run and seven RBIs over 100 plate appearances before being sent down to the minors in September. His season ended with just one hit in his final 24 at-bats.
By acquiring Jimenez, the Orioles not only took on the remainder of his $13.6 million salary, but they also inherited the possibility of keeping him for 2025 through a $16.5 million club option. If they decline the option, they’ll still owe him a $3 million buyout. This financial commitment seems questionable given Jimenez’s struggles and injury history, especially in a platoon DH role.
The Orioles’ decision to send him down essentially indicated they had given up on him, making it highly unlikely that Jimenez will return to Baltimore.
1) Will the Orioles really outbid the field for Corbin Burnes?
The Orioles should look to part ways with players like Dominguez, Soto, and Jimenez, but Corbin Burnes is a completely different situation. He’s a player the Orioles should absolutely aim to retain. However, the likelihood of that happening seems slim.
Baltimore was able to acquire Burnes, a true ace, without giving up too much because he’s entering the final year of team control. With Scott Boras as his agent, it’s almost certain Burnes will test free agency rather than entertain an extension beforehand.
Although Burnes has expressed that he enjoyed his time with the Orioles and might be inclined to stay if winning is a priority, his primary goal will be to secure a big payday—which is why he hired Boras. The Orioles might be in a better position to make an offer now with new ownership, but it’s unclear if they’re willing to offer Burnes the massive contract he’s likely to seek at age 29.
While the team should have more financial flexibility, it doesn’t mean they’ll compete with big-market teams needing pitching, especially when their focus should also be on extending their young core of talented players.
Though it would be fantastic to see Burnes re-sign, and the Orioles should make a strong effort, it’s difficult to envision it happening at this point.
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