As the 2025 MLB season nears, the Baltimore Orioles are set to be a team to watch closely. After an impressive 2024 season, where they finished with a 91-71 record, the Orioles were swept out of the playoffs by the Kansas City Royals.
However, their offseason has been marked by two significant departures: starting pitcher Corbin Burns and outfielder Anthony Santander both signed with other teams in free agency. These losses leave the Orioles with key gaps to fill, with the loss of Burns being especially difficult to overcome.
The current rotation is projected to include Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer, and Tomoyuki Sugano. Ideally, Baltimore would make a move during the season to bolster its pitching staff. Jim Bowden of The Athletic has made a prediction that could excite Orioles fans.
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He suggests that Baltimore might trade with the San Diego Padres for ace pitcher Dylan Cease. In return, Bowden projects the Orioles would send first baseman Coby Mayo and left-handed pitcher Cade Povich to San Diego.
Adding Cease would provide the Orioles with a legitimate No. 1 starter to replace Burns. During the 2024 MLB season with the Padres, Cease made 33 starts, compiling a 14-11 record, a 3.47 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, a 3.4 K/BB ratio, and 189.1 innings pitched. This acquisition could significantly strengthen Baltimore’s rotation.
