BALTIMORE — It's the Orioles first off-season under new ownership.
While the team has spent tens-of-millions thus far on a flurry of acquisitions, there are major questions as to what impact these new additions will actually have in 2025, considering the team is coming off two straight seasons of being swept early on in the playoffs.
The Birds made their first splash in December, signing 29-year-old free agent outfielder Tyler O'Neill to a three-year contract worth a reported $49.5 million.
O'Neill spent the 2024 season with the division rival Red Sox, belting 31 home runs in 113 games, while batting .241.
The club hopes O'Neill's arrival offsets the likely departure of veteran slugger Anthony Santander, who remains on the free agent market.
While O'Neill has shown power, he's also struck out at a high rate. In 411 at-bats in 2024, O'Neill whiffed 159 times.
Aside from the strikeouts, injuries have plagued O'Neill's career.
In five of seven big league seasons, O'Neill has played less than 100 games, granted one year was shortened to 60 games during COVID-19.
Last year was no different, as O'Neill was placed on the injured list on more than one occasion due to leg injuries and a concussion.
Prior to a 2024 resurgence, O'Neill struggled with the bat in 2022 and 2023.
His best season before then came in 2021 as a St. Louis Cardinal, hitting 34 long balls and 80 RBIs.
Despite a .286 batting average that year, O'Neill still managed to strikeout 168 times in 482 plate appearances.
On the positive side, O'Neill is regarded as a defensive upgrade over Santander, winning two career gold gloves with the Cardinals in 2020 and 2021.
O'Neill's contract does have an opt-out clause after 2025.
Along with O'Neill the club also acquired Gary Sánchez, a 32-year-old journeyman catcher.
Sánchez burst onto the big league scene in 2016 as a young prospect with the New York Yankees.
He would go onto spend six full seasons in the Bronx, surpassing 20 home runs four times, earning two all star nods.
Despite an ability to hit the ball out of the park, a low batting average has hampered Sánchez's career, forcing him back to the minor leagues as recently as 2023.
Since 2022 he's played with four teams, never hitting above .220, yet the Orioles saw enough to give Sánchez a guaranteed one-year deal worth a reported $8.5 million.
Sánchez is slotted to replace outgoing backup catcher James McCann.
General Manager Mike Elias went international with his next move, signing pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
The 35-year-old right-hander has no prior Major League experience, spending his entire 12-year professional career with the Yomiuri Giants professional baseball team in Japan.
Sugano is known for his control and low walk rate, but is somewhat of a soft tosser lacking in strikeouts.
Last year Sugano won his league's MVP award, posting a 15-3 record with a 1.67 ERA in 156.2 innings pitched.
The Orioles rewarded Sugano with a one-year major league contract, shelling out $13 million, in hopes he can replicate that performance in the U.S.
It's not the first time the team delved into the Japanese market.
Over the years, the club experimented with fellow pitchers Koji Uehara and Tsuyoshi Wada.
While Uehara had a successful career in relief, Wada did not pan out.
On Friday the club made it's latest move, adding 41-year-old right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton.
The 17-year veteran starter has pitched for five teams, including Tampa Bay in the American League East.
Although Morton is considered a reliable innings eater, he's never reached the 200 inning plateau in a season.
He has, however, started 30 or more games in four straight seasons, and six out of the last seven.
During that stretch, Morton allowed less hits than innings pitched, which bodes well in Camden Yards.
Last season, as a member of the Atlanta Braves, Morton started 30 games, finishing with an 8-10 record and 4.19 ERA in 165 plus frames.
This garnered $15 million from the Orioles.
It's become a trend for Elias to sign aging veteran starters to one-year off-season deals.
In the past, the O's took fliers on pitchers like Jordan Lyles and Kyle Gibson, who each surpassed 170 innings and ERA's well above 4.
None were paid the hefty sum Morton is collecting, making his signing a bigger risk.
So the question is, for the combined $85 million paid out, can O'Neill, Sánchez, Sugano, and Morton live up to the contributions of Corbin Burnes and Santander?
Has Elias wisely spent on behalf of new ownership, in a way that best improves the team's chances of advancing in the playoffs?
