Disappointment probably doesn't begin to describe what Baltimore Orioles fans and the team are feeling after their effort in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers. The result was a sweep, and not in the right direction. Orioles pitching was blasted by the loaded opposing lineup in all three games and the young up-and-comers couldn't answer nearly enough.
After finishing with the best record in the American League during the regular season, that result undoubtedly stings anyone in the clubhouse or rooting for the club. However, the fact of the matter is that the Orioles reached these heights even sooner than expected. Now they have a bright future that should be filled with many more playoff appearances to come -- and hopefully more postseason success.
Having said that, the Orioles can't stand pat on the roster they had for the 2023 season, especially given what we saw in the playoffs. Taking that into account, the writing appears to be on the wall that these players won't be back in Baltimore for the 2024 campaign.
4. Shintaro Fujinami won't be back with the Orioles after a dice-roll
Before the true hullabaloo around the MLB Trade Deadline got rolling, the O's pulled off an under-the-radar deal for once highly-regarded reliever Shintaro Fujinami with the Oakland A's. The Japanese flamethrower struggled with the Athletics but Baltimore took a swing hoping that they could mold him into a useful reliever.
Make no mistake, Fujinami was exponentially better coming out of the Orioles bullpen than he was with Oakland. Whereas he heled a catastrophic 8.57 ERA and 1.66 WHIP with the A's, he bettered that over 30 appearances with Baltimore by posting a 4.85 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Fujinami also improved his K/BB rate from 1.7 to 2.1 over that span as well.
The problem, however, is that he didn't improve quite enough. Given how strong the O's bullpen as a whole was throughout this season, Fujinami was not nearly reliable enough to become a consistent part of that. Subsequently, that's a big part of the reason that he was ultimately left off of the Orioles ALDS roster coming into the postseason.
Fujinami is now set to become a free agent after this season. While there is still a glimmer of hope for the 29-year-old after the improvement he showed with a change of scenery, there's no guarantee. Even if he'll likely be cheap on the open market, the Orioles have proven they're ready to contend now and, though they'll still operate with a budget, Fujinami does not look like a win-now piece to pursue re-signing.
3. Aaron Hicks won't be back with the Orioles despite his hot streaks
Baltimore sitting atop the entirety of the American League and the AL East had to make many a Yankees fan feel quite salty about the team that had often been viewed as the "lovable loser" leapfrogging them emphatically. But nothing rubbed salt in the wound quite like the acquistion of outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Hicks was a total eyesore for Yankees fans in New York. Despite the sizable contract he'd been handed a few years ago, he was a negative defender who was also producing next-to-nothing at the plate. That's why Brian Cashman ultimately had to bite the bullet and designate him for assignment, which is when Baltimore swooped in to pick him up amid injuries and a need for depth in their outfield.
After slashing .188/.263/.261 with the Yankees, though, he looked like a completely different player in Baltimore. Hicks slashed .275/.381/.425 with seven home runs, 15 extra-base hits, and 31 RBI over 65 games with the O's this season, giving the team a bonafide (albeit unexpected) jolt with his performance.
Set to become a free agent this offseason, however, Hicks just turned 34 years old and his career had been on a distinct downturn before he came to the O's. Again, this is a Baltimore franchise that is on the cusp of becoming a perennial contender with the young core that they've assembled. Banking on Hicks to be a player he really hasn't been consistently since 2020 or 2019 would be a fool's errand, and a decision that could backfire on them spectacularly if they were to re-sign him.
There's no denying the positive impact Hicks had on the Orioles once he joined the ball club. But the front office should thank him for that and send him on his way, not incur the risk that those 65 games weren't an outlier at this point in his career.
2. Kyle Gibson won't be back with the Orioles as rotation upgrades loom
Veteran Kyle Gibson led Baltimore in starts this season with 33 and proved to be a highly valuable commodity for an overall inconsistent and sometimes-shaky rotation. Yes, his 4.73 ERA and 1.32 WHIP were never going to win him any awards, but his 17 Quality Starts on the year were second-best on the team while his experience and moxie came up clutch in some key moments.
There's no denying the important role that Gibson played in the 2023 season. At the same time, though, the Orioles' quick exit from the playoffs proved that upgrading the rotation this offseason is of the utmost importance. Top-to-bottom, it's the weak link of this young team and something that will continue to hold them back in the postseason if not addressed.
In that vein, does it really make sense to bring back a veteran who will be 36 years old by Opening Day in 2024? And if the age doesn't concern you, the fact that Gibson's ERA this season was actually his best in the past three years probably should. He's a solid cog, but not a game-changer for a rotation, especially for a contender.
Gibson will surely get a contract elsewhere this offseason for the exact things that he brought to Baltimore in the 2023 campaign. However, the O's are now entering a new era for the franchise after their rapid ascension to contender status. As such, it only makes sense for them to move on and pursue better options this offseason to fill out the rotation.
1. Jack Flaherty won't be back with the Orioles after midding trade results
Jack Flaherty is a tremendously curious case for the Baltimore Orioles heading into the offseason. Everyone with any sense of the team knew that upgrading the starting pitching was the priority at the trade deadline this season, but many were shocked when the team stood pat in regards to some of the bigger names that were reportedly on the trade block only to then make a last-minute deal with the Cardinals for Flaherty.
Unfortunately, the trade didn't work out nearly in the way that they were hoping. Flaherty made nine appearances and seven starts for Baltimore after the deadline and was wildly inconsistent -- and disappointingly just frustrating down the stretch. All told, he posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.67 WHIP with the O's.
That was only made to look worse when the Orioles didn't give him a start in the ALDS and, instead, brought him in for just one relief appearance. Even that didn't go well, however, as Flaherty went only two innings in Game 2, giving up one run while conceding two hits and three walks, striking out just one batter.
Throughout the past few seasons with the Cardinals and now the Orioles, Flaherty has always flashed elite potential harkening back to the start of his career. He just hasn't been able to put it all together for a full season again, though.
As the O's make the aforementioned effort to upgrade the rotation in the offseason, they need to cut their losses with Flaherty. While there is still a multitude of potential in regards to the soon-to-be 28-year-old that some team in free agency will bite on, it shouldn't be Baltimore. There are surer arms to hang the 2024 season and the future with their rotation on that the front office can pursue.
