The Baltimore Orioles have a few questions they will need to answer in the coming months before Spring Training.
Most pressing among them, in the opinion of fans and analysts alike, is what they are going to do with the pitching staff.
Losing ace Corbin Burnes is a huge blow, as starting pitching was a need before his departure. Without him, they need to find an anchor for the staff, which is easier said than done.
Some solid depth exists, but they are going to struggle to match up against the top of rotations of other contenders.
Another question the team has to answer is what to do with young outfielder Heston Kjerstad.
The No. 2 pick in the 2020 MLB draft has done everything he needs to do in the minor leagues.
Last year, he slashed .301/.397/.601 across 56 games, hitting 14 doubles and 16 home runs with 58 RBI.
A role for him in 2025 seemed to be opened up with All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander hitting free agency and seeming unlikely to return to the team, however, the Orioles signed Tyler O’Neill early in free agency to a three-year, $49.5 million deal that has an opt-out after the 2025 campaign.
That kind of money implies he will be playing regularly.
Baltimore wanted a right-handed power-hitting outfielder and he fits that mold perfectly.
Colton Cowser is coming off an AL Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign and is locked into left field. Cedric Mullins is likely the starting center fielder again.
If Kjerstad is the fourth outfielder, he can soak up some of the at-bats as a designated hitter at least, but there is a question about how the lineup will look against left-handed pitching since Mullins could sit in those situations.
Alas, there is no guarantee Kjerstad, who was 6-for-16 against lefties in a small sample size, will get those at-bats.
They could go to Jorge Mateo, who fits the mold of the versatile, backup outfielder the Orioles have kept on the roster in recent years.
The path to playing time isn’t a clear one right now, but it is something that the franchise has to figure out ahead of the regular season, ideally before Spring Training, so that players can get reps in.
It is time for Kjerstad to be unleashed and see what he can do with regular playing time at the Major League level.
He was selected in 2020 because they thought he was going to be the next one of their future stars.
That future is now.
Kjerstad needs to be in the lineup every day and Baltimore needs to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that happens.
Making a trade to clear more playing time is certainly an avenue to explore, especially if it means bringing back a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.