MLB Rumors: Orioles 'Reluctant to Pursue' Max Fried, Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta

Stockpiling draft capital could potentially prevent the Baltimore Orioles from signing some of the biggest available free agent starting pitchers still available.

The Orioles are "reluctant" to sign Max Fried, Sean Manaea or Nick Pivetta because all three received qualifying offers from their respective teams, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported for The Athletic.

Signing Fried, Manaea or Pivetta would cost the Orioles a compensatory draft pick. Because the Orioles are a revenue-sharing recipient, the club would be required to send over their third-highest selection in the 2025 draft, per MLB rules.

That could mean the loss of a top-40 pick. The Orioles currently hold the No. 19 selection and could receive two more picks in the 30s, per Rosenthal, should Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander sign elsewhere after receiving qualifying offers from the O's.

Burnes could still return to Baltimore, although Rosenthal and Sammon described the possibility as "remote."

The right-hander could be seeking something close to a six-year, $175 million contract, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. A deal in that range would be uncharacteristic for the Orioles, who have yet to sign a free agent to a multi-year contract under Mike Elias' six-year tenure as general manager.

Elias said in October that he was "pretty confident" that the Orioles would complete increasing their payroll in 2025. But as Rosenthal and Sammon noted, the O's could be out-bid for Burnes, especially one of the deep-pocketed suitors for Juan Soto.

Should a Soto bidder like the New York Mets or New York Yankees miss out on signing the star outfielder and turn their attention instead to Burnes, they could offer more money and leave the Orioles with the compensatory draft pick but no ace.

Rosenthal and Sammon reported that the Orioles were previously "highly competitive" to sign Clay Holmes. The O's, like the Mets, wanted to transition the former reliever into a starting role, per Rosenthal and Sammon.

But Holmes inked a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets instead, and the Orioles will remain in need of a starter should Burnes sign elsewhere.

Baltimore has previously been linked to White Sox staterr Garrett Crochet, per Feinsand. However, trading for Crochet would likely require further depleting a farm system still recovering from losing the top prospects sent to Milwaukee in the Burnes trade last winter.