Notable Pending Free Agents For Baltimore Orioles
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Free agency in MLB begins not long after the World Series ends, and most teams, along with the Baltimore Orioles, will be weighing the options of who to keep around for Opening Day next spring.
Four notable pending free agents for the Orioles are: DH Pedro Alvarez, OF/INF Steve Pearce, OF Mark Trumbo, C Matt Wieters.
DH Pedro Alvarez
Alvarez ended the year with a .249 average and .322 OBP, his best marks in both areas since his first MLB season in 2010. His strikeout rate was on the high end (25.8%), but he did earn a 9.8% BB percentage that worked in the team's favor throughout the year.
OF/INF Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce was reacquired by Baltimore via a midseason trade after signing with Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason. Pearce hit .288 in 2016 and became a strong player for the team before suffering a season-ending injury. He was signed to a one-year, $4.75M contract and will hit the market again this winter.
OF Mark Trumbo
Of course the Orioles would like to keep the guy who hit the most home runs in the entire league, but holding onto Trumbo could cost them. He earned $9.15M in 2016. The Orioles will likely make a qualifying offer to Trumbo and would gain a compensatory draft pick if he departs. But sticking around could be a good thing for both sides, Trumbo seemed to mesh well in the clubhouse and was able to play in the postseason for the first time in his major league career with the Orioles.
C Matt Wieters
Matt Wieters is a free agent after earning $15.8M in 2016 and the demand for a player like him likely prices him out of Baltimore's range. This time is could cost closer to $16.7 million, which is a lot to pay for a catcher. He's one of the team's longest tenured players, a leader in the clubhouse and has been clutch for the Orioles in many games. He would be difficult to replace, but the Orioles do have Caleb Joseph to fall back on.
The Orioles also have a few other guys headed toward free agency not mentioned. Paul Janish, Drew Stubbs, and Brian Duensing are a few.
