5 Free Agents Baltimore Orioles Could Pursue In Offseason

The Orioles would love to re-sign Andrew Miller, who was the best pitcher for Baltimore in the postseason. Miller will have his options, as many teams will be looking to acquire a player with his talent. In the event that Baltimore can't re-sign Miller, Joe Thatcher is a solid left-handed relief pitcher the O's could target. The 32 year old had a 2.63 ERA with a 8.33 strikeout to walk ratio for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.

Though the Orioles led the league in home runs in 2014, Baltimore was last in stolen bases with only 44 steals. Emilio Bonifacio could add some speed on the base paths for the Orioles, as he swiped 26 bags last season for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He can play multiple positions, including outfield and second base. Bonifacio provides the kind of depth and versatility that Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette prefer.

For the first time in several years, pitching is no longer a problem for the Orioles. Baltimore's pitching staff finished seventh in the majors with a 3.43 ERA. It still wouldn't be a bad idea to add some depth in case of an injury or poor performance. A.J. Burnett had a disappointing season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014, but the veteran could get back on track by joining a competitive team and a new environment.

The Orioles could be in the market for a lead-off hitter if Nick Markakis leaves during free agency. Markakis has been the consummate professional in Baltimore, but there might not be enough money to go around for the Orioles to re-sign everyone. The Orioles could consider signing Melky Cabrera after his solid 2014 campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays. Cabrera scored 81 runs and batted .301 at the top of the Toronto lineup last year.

Baltimore saw what a dominant bullpen can do for you in the playoffs against Kansas City, and should consider adding to its staff to make it even stronger next year. Bringing Koji Uehara back to Baltimore would certainly solidify the back end of the bullpen for the Orioles. Uehara compiled a 1.75 ERA and 47 saves in his last two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, and was lights out during Boston's World Series championship in 2013.