Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, not only leaving the Orioles' division, but their league too. Corbin Burnes signed with Arizona and Roki Sasaki is a Los Angeles Dodger.

But the O’s on Monday saw one of their own sign with another club and also stay in the American League East when outfielder Anthony Santander agreed to a five-year deal worth $92.5 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays didn’t sign but tried to get Shohei Ohtani, Sasaki, Soto, Burnes and Max Fried. But they finally did get one, with Santander coming off a 44-homer season that ranked third-best in the majors.

He also drove in 102 runs last year – the first Oriole with 100 or more since Jonathan Schoop with 105 in 2017 – and produced an OPS of .814 and OPS+ of 134. Santander, who turned 30 in October, finished 2024 ninth in the AL in RBIs, 11^th in slugging and 13^th in OPS.

And his payday came Monday. I guess all that talk of his on-base percentage and defense didn’t keep him from getting some big dollars.

With right-hander Corbin Burnes off to Arizona and no ace pitchers still to be had via free agency, the Orioles may have pivoted toward a pitcher who made nine appearances for them in the 2023 season and one more in that postseason.

That is 29-year-old right-hander Jack Flaherty, coming off a strong 2024 season that began with Detroit and ended with him getting a ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his hometown team.

Per The Athletic, “both sides would be open to a reunion after Flaherty’s bounce-back season.”

Between the two clubs last year, he made 28 starts throwing 162 innings – the second-most of his career. He went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.068 WHIP. He posted strong walk and strikeout numbers, walking 2.1 per every nine innings (a 5.9 percent walk rate) and fanning 10.8 (29.9 percent).

Among qualified pitchers last year (the 58 that had 162 or more innings) he finished third in the majors in strikeouts/nine, tied for eighth in WHIP, tied for 13^th in batting average against (.223) and 13^th in MLB in ERA.

After a few days away, we’re back today with a new blog and hopefully some fresh thoughts and takes to lead us into the New Year.

For now, a few facts and opinions.

Fact: O’s 2024 ace pitcher Corbin Burnes is headed to Arizona to pitch for the 2025 season.

Opinion: The Orioles' current rotation, even minus Burnes, could be solid but is now missing the pitcher who finished fifth for the American League Cy Young Award. So how will the O’s make up for this loss? For me, it’s never a one-for-one type thing in that they add this player to replace that player. All players they use in 2025 could partially help replace those not back.

There are no longer any aces left via the free agent market but perhaps the team could deal for a top pitcher, as it did with Burnes last Feb. 1.

Numerous questions immediately came to mind among Orioles fans as news broke super-early Saturday morning that Corbin Burnes was in agreement with the Diamondbacks on a six-year, $210 million deal.

Among them: Now what?

Burnes always seemed like a long shot to stay with the Orioles, mostly due to the money but also his preference to sign with a West Coast team and pitch closer to his Arizona home.

Can’t get much closer than the Diamondbacks.

Family matters with Burnes, who was given permission multiple times to leave the club and be with wife Brooke for the birth and care of twin daughters Charlotte and Harper. Son Carter was two years old when Burnes came to the Orioles.

If the Orioles are, indeed, done with the position side of their roster beyond maybe some minor league signings, we can begin crafting lineups against right-handed and left-handed starters.

Why? Because what else are you gonna do besides eat leftovers and talk about Corbin Burnes?

The chatter now has him seeking at least $245 million. I’ll gladly wear it if wrong.

(Update: Burnes is in agreement with the Diamondbacks on a six-year, $210 million contract, allowing him to pitch close to home. The New York Post's Jon Heyman was first with the news. The deal includes an opt-out after two seasons. The Orioles reportedly were aggressive in their pursuit but remain without a No. 1 starter via free agency or trade.)

I’m correct when I say that the Orioles can go with many combinations and the lineup construction often hinges on who’s hot and who’s not. An extended Gunnar Henderson slump, for example, can lower him from the leadoff spot. Same goes for a middle-of-the-order bat. And there are multiple choices for a designated hitter against a right-handed starter.

The Orioles had five pending free agents when the offseason began and only one has signed. Only two seem to have any chance of staying with the organization.

Outfielder Austin Slater received a one-year, $1.75 million deal from the lowly White Sox, improving his odds of getting more regular playing time. He would have remained a backup with the Orioles, providing defense and a right-handed bat off the bench.

Right fielder Anthony Santander doesn’t seem to be in the Orioles’ plans after they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million contract. Reports have him seeking a five-year deal and with multiple teams in the division interested as an alternative to Juan Soto.

Criticisms are aimed at Santander’s defense, though he was a Gold Glove finalist in the truncated 2020 season, and a career .307 on-base percentage. He had 44 home runs and 102 RBIs this year. There’s a demand for thumpers in the middle of a lineup.

The Orioles get O’Neill’s power but also a higher on-base percentage and improved defense. Also at a much lower cost, of course.

Baseball America recently wrote about the findings of Major League Baseball’s study on pitching injuries and what it meant for amateur youth pitchers.

The study found – to no real surprise – that youth pitchers are throwing too much, too hard, and too often. This is leading to long-term injuries. Again, no one should be surprised.

They are chasing the dollars of MLB and before that the scholarships from top Div. I schools that lead them to get drafted that lead them to pro ball and possibly one day to the big dollars of the majors.

How big?

Price tags are going up.

I’ve heard the speculation that Corbin Burnes could sign for less years at a higher annual average value, perhaps going as low as three years.

I’ll believe that when I see it. Not a minute beforehand.

There’s some logic in getting paid big on a shorter term and re-entering free agency at age 33. A sliver of logic. Thinly sliced like garlic with a razor on “Goodfellas.”

The pitching market melted a little more Sunday with the Marlins sending left-hander Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies - an injury risk but one of the most appealing starters on the trade market. Max Fried signed with the Yankees, receiving $218 million over eight seasons. Blake Snell got $182 million over five years from the Dodgers. Nathan Eovaldi exceeded some expectations by receiving $75 million over three years to stay with the Rangers. Garrett Crochet was dealt to the Red Sox.

Japanese right-hander Rōki Sasaki is out there and predicted by many in the industry to sign with a West Coast team if it isn’t one based in New York. Jack Flaherty and Nick Pivetta sit in the next-tier group. Sean Manaea and Walker Buehler just left it.

The holiday week is right around the corner, when baseball doesn’t have to shut down but often gets quiet.

The Orioles traded for pitcher Jonathan Heasley on Dec. 18, 2023 and didn’t announce another move until signing free-agent catchers David Bañuelos and Michael Pérez on the 30^th. Their only transactions in December 2021 were minor league deals due to the lockout, the last on the 15^th. But they made an exception in 2022 with a flurry that included the James McCann trade and Mychal Givens signing on the 21st and sending first baseman Lewin Díaz to the Braves on the 23^rd.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias got agreements on two major league contracts right before this year’s Winter Meetings, securing outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, and Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano signed with the club on Monday.

The roster probably isn’t done undergoing changes. Elias seems intent on finding at least one more reliever and he could continue his pursuit of a starter despite Sugano’s $13 million contract. Sugano isn’t a No. 1, which either keeps the search alive or leaves the Orioles choosing between Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin and being satisfied with bolstering the middle of the rotation.

The 40-man roster is full and a 13-man pitching staff unexpectedly includes Sugano at $13 million. Per the Associated Press, he also can earn an additional $50,000 for an All-Star selection, $100,000 for winning the Cy Young Award, $75,000 for finishing in second place, $50,000 for finishing in third, $50,000 for winning a Gold Glove; $100,000 for being World Series Most Valuable Player, and $50,000 for being Championship Series MVP.

The weekend always seems like an opportune time to dump the contents of the mailbag, and chances to do it are running out in 2024.

You ask and I answer, which leads us to the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I thought about editing, but it appealed to me as much as coal in my stocking or trying to hit Gerrit Cole.

Also, my mailbag comes down your chimney with a bag of presents and your mailbag sweeps it.

Do you think Tyler O'Neill will avoid the injured list for the entire season?
O’Neill has landed on it 14 times in his career, including three in 2024. But I’d have trouble predicting a full season out of any player. You never know when an injury is gonna strike. There’s luck involved, too. “I think the injuries that he has had have been minor,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told the media at the Winter Meetings. “They’re things that have blown over. We’re hoping we can keep him healthy. We’ll take good care of him. We’ll have DH at-bats available for him. … He’s a young guy and I think he’s had bad luck in some regards with some injuries.”

Let’s be blunt here.

Anyone shocked that the Orioles left the Winter Meetings without a No. 1 starter or upgrade further down the rotation is forgetful or unfamiliar with how the club usually operates. You set yourselves up to be disappointed.

Closer Craig Kimbrel was a surprise signing last December on the final day before executives boarded flights home. The Orioles normally nab a minor league free agent or two, make a selection or two in the Rule 5 draft and hope that talks lead to a later agreement or deal prior to the start of spring training.

Laying groundwork also happens at these meetings. Lines of communication aren’t snipped.

The Corbin Burnes trade was finalized on Feb. 1, a stunner that delivered a legitimate ace on a rental basis. Kyle Bradish was injured, which probably amped the urgency to make a move. That’s how the dots are connected.

Juan Soto stole the biggest headline at the now-completed Winter Meetings – and for $765 million, rightfully so – but the most significant broader storyline to develop out of Dallas might well have been the shape of the pitching market.

In short, it’s expensive. Really expensive.

While only a handful of top position players have signed so far this offseason, a good number of free agent starters have found new homes. And they’ve been paid handsomely for their services.

The real eye-opener so far was Max Fried, who parlayed the Yankees’ frustration at losing Soto to the Mets into a gargantuan, eight-year, $218 million contract. That shattered most predictions for the left-hander, who undoubtedly is one of the league’s better starters but has dealt with some injuries in recent years and isn’t a prototypical power pitcher.

Fried’s deal, which runs through his age-38 season, was the biggest one given to a pitcher so far this winter. But it’s not the only one that exceeded expectations.

The Orioles announced the signings in free agency of outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez earlier today. Physicals were passed and contracts inked.

O’Neill received a three-year deal for $49.5 million and Sánchez received a one-year deal for $8 million.

The 40-man roster has 39 players, leaving room if the Orioles want to make a selection in Wednesday afternoon’s Rule 5 draft that wraps up the Winter Meetings.

“Pretty clearly two profiles we had been seeking going into the offseason,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said during his media scrum at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. “They both bring tremendous amounts of right-handed power. They’re good against both sides, righty and lefty pitching, but extremely productive, Tyler in particular, against left-handed pitching. That's something that you look at the composition of the rest of our team was a relative weakness. We have a lot of left-handed hitters, particularly in the outfield.”

O’Neill replaces Anthony Santander, who remains on the free-agent market and reportedly is attracting interest from other teams in the division.

The work required to build the 26-man roster for Opening Day is a long way from completion. The surface hasn’t even been scratched.

At least one starter and reliever, a right-handed bat – likely for the outfield – and a backup catcher bring boxes that still need checking. The Orioles are on the clock but the ticking isn’t really that loud. Plenty of time remains to finish shopping before camp opens in mid-February. Plenty of names remain on the board who could fill specific needs of the club, and there are also trade talks that might produce upgrades.

This is the point in the offseason when I’m reminded of the gaps in the roster. A national publication is asking for a projected lineup, rotation, bullpen and bench. The list will be outdated in a few months, but that isn’t my problem.

The issue is coming up with 26 names.

Starting with the rotation, an Opening Day in December could line up Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich, with the first two vying for the March 27 game in Toronto. Albert Suárez is a possibility, of course.

It has been a somewhat slow Hot Stove season thus far in terms of signings. But the stove may be really about to get hot.

The biggest free agent prize – outfielder Juan Soto – may be close to signing and it could happen during the Winter Meetings that begin on Monday. He has been the most talked about player this offseason and that will hold up until he signs.

Will the dam burst after that?

This is what many in the industry seem to believe. Once Soto is off the market, teams may pivot to outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández and really kick off the pursuit of position players. Big dollar teams that miss out on Soto, could move back to the high-end starting pitcher market chasing the likes of Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.

Where does this leave the Orioles?

With Grayson Rodriguez returning next year after what turned out to be a season-ending injury in 2024 and with Corbin Burnes possibly leaving via free agency, the one man standing alone atop the Baltimore rotation right now is 30-year-old right-hander Zach Eflin, a veteran of nine seasons with three teams who has made 174 career starts.

Eflin, under contract next year for $18 million, is easily the O’s current highest-paid player. That could change but right now he’s No. 1.

The O’s picked up that tab for next season on July 26 last summer when they completed the trade with Tampa Bay to acquire Eflin and gave up three top 30 prospects in Jackson Baumeister, and position players Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel.

In 28 starts between the Rays and Orioles in 2024, he went 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA over 165 1/3 innings. He had a 1.149 WHIP allowing just 1.3 walks per nine with 7.3 strikeouts. His 3.5 percent walk rate ranked in the top two percent of MLB.

Eflin sure showed his strong command and control during his first eight of nine regular season starts for the Orioles, allowing no walks or one. He then walked five in 4 2/3 in his last regular season outing versus the Yankees.

Rather than let the mailbag fill until it overflows like a clogged sink, I’ve decided to share a few more questions this morning to keep it at a reasonable level.

I sense a little fan impatience because the Orioles haven’t made a big move or one that fits as a medium, but offers reportedly were made for starting pitching and the Winter Meetings could bring news. Stay patient. It's early December.

In the meantime …

Why hasn't the “Hot Stove” been hot?
There it is. Some deals and signings have been announced, but the process slows with the expanded playoff field convincing more teams that they can contend. Agents aren’t in a rush to accept proposals. High-profile free agents like Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes need to come off the board, which makes clubs pivot to Plan B. Stuff like that.

How many Orioles minor leaguers are eligible to be chosen in the Rule 5 draft?
Roster Resource lists 36. Don't worry, all 36 won’t be selected. Some of the more notable names include outfielders Hudson Haskin, John Rhodes and Reed Trimble, catcher Maverick Handley and pitchers Justin Armbruester, Juan Nuñez, Carter Baumler, Kyle Brnovich, Alex Pham, Zach Peek, Jean Pinto, Tyler Burch, Keagan Gillies and Kyle Virbitsky.

It is a slow trend down in baseball. It is pitcher strikeout rates per every nine innings. In the shortened 2020 season, pitchers in MLB averaged 9.1 strikeout per every nine innings. The year after the mark was 8.9. Last season it was down to 8.6 per nine.

It is nothing too significant at this point and there is still plenty of swing and miss in the game. But at some point, contact skills and players that don’t strike out that much may be valued again.

Ironically it was a pitcher somewhat known for strikeouts that brought this trend to my attention. It was right-hander Corbin Burnes during an interview this year in May. Burnes began the 2024 season pitching Opening Day for the Orioles and he fanned 11 Los Angeles Angels in a dominant outing. But over his next eight starts he never fanned more than six in a game. On May 13 at home versus Toronto, Burnes fanned just two batters. 

It was a day or two after that start that I asked Burnes about the Toronto hitters’ approach that night and I asked him where all his strikeouts had gone?

“We are seeing a different approach against me,” Burnes said during that interview. “It was easy to see what that Blue Jays lineup approach was - if they got to two strikes, they were doing all that they can to put the ball in play. I think that is kind of how the game is changing. You are seeing lineups change to more of a contact approach. Things tend to happen more when the ball is put in play.

The turkey will be the star today in many households, but I’m more of a sides guy. They can make or break a meal.

Trading for or signing a starter the caliber of Corbin Burnes, if not actually him, would be baseball’s turkey. The same goes for a big right-handed bat.

Three more minor league signings on Monday were sides.

The Orioles didn’t make any bold moves last November, their final transaction of the month a minor league contract for left-hander Jakob Hernández. They claimed outfielder Sam Hilliard on waivers from the Braves and gave right-hander Adrian Heredia and left-hander Andy Tena minor league deals.

The most important business this month has involved restructuring the 40-man roster, with relievers Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb unexpectedly entering free agency, and finalizing the coaching staff. Those are the primary sides. We’re talking stuffing, potatoes and casseroles. The minor league stuff, while necessary to build depth, is more like the relish tray.

We found out yesterday that former O’s backup catcher Robinson Chirinos and the O’s Triple-A manager Buck Britton, are joining their big league coaching staff.

Those hires no doubt will be most popular in the clubhouse. A clubhouse that Chirinos shared in 2022 with Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish and several others. That 2022 season was the year the Orioles went from 52 to 83 wins. They ended the losing and set the stage for playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024.

During that 2022 season, I had several enjoyable interactions and interviews with Chirinos, a player his then cohorts called a “a great teammate.”

That summer he told me being called that was important to him.

“It is (meaningful to me). When you understand as a player it’s not about you; it’s about the team. It’s about how many people you can impact on your team. So many people we talk every single day to that end that make baseball more fun. This game is so hard every day. When you take away the focus on yourself and you’re trying to get the best out of people, it makes baseball more fun.