Baltimore Orioles: 5 Left-Handed Relievers the Orioles Could Pursue
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly in the market for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen. Here are five options the team could pursue this offseason.
The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly in the market for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen, according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko. As it stands, the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen is mostly right-handed, with the exception of Zach Britton, Richard Bleier, and Donnie Hart.
Every Orioles fan knows all about what happened to Britton last season. Plagued by injuries, the former All-Star only pitched 37.1 innings last year, grabbing 15 saves and pitching to a respectable 2.89 ERA, though his 3.48 xFIP suggests that there was a bit of luck involved in that.
Britton, one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball, is on the final year of his contract, and will likely be testing free agency after this upcoming season to cash in on a big payday, but first, he has to prove he’s healthy.
As for Bleier and Hart, the two lefties pitched well enough. Bleier had an excellent year, pitching to a 1.99 ERA in 63.1 innings, but Hart had a bit more of a difficult year, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched.
Both of them had fairly fortunate years, as their peripherals suggest they should’ve had worse ERAs. While Bleier had a 1.99 ERA, his xFIP was 4.35, and while Hart had a 3.71 ERA, his xFIP was 4.91.
Needless to say, it’s understandable why the Baltimore Orioles are looking for some left-handed reliever help. Here, we’ll take a look at five free-agent left-handed relievers that the Orioles could potentially pursue.