The Baltimore Orioles have remained one of Major League Baseball's top teams this season after winning 101 games last year, which was good for the best record in the American League.
They improved further by trading for right-hander and former Cy Young Corbin Burnes. However, Burnes is a free agent this coming offseason and could walk. This would leave Baltimore without an ace.
Fortunately though, there are other options. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed them as a potential fit for left-hander Garrett Crochet.
Crochet was almost traded this year at the deadline and will likely be traded in the offseason, as the Chicago White Sox are still in their rebuilding phase, and the return for him would be massive.
He also likely turned off several suitors when it was revealed that he would only pitch in the postseason if he were to receive a contract extension from his new team.
However, the Orioles may need to pivot this offseason. Losing Burnes would certainly hurt them, and they would then need somebody to pick up the slack. This is where Crochet comes into play.
The 25-year-old left-hander is 6-9 with a 3.64 ERA over 128 2/3 innings of work. He also has punched out 180 batters and posted a 1.07 WHIP.
The White Sox ace has plenty of potential and the Orioles would be wise to pursue him if they are unable to keep Burnes this offseason.
Crochet's market will be interesting to follow when the season ends and the time comes for offseason moves.
More MLB: Orioles could target former Cy Young as backup option for 2025
