3 Moves the Orioles Need to Make Before the 2022 MLB Season Starts

The 2022 MLB season begins on Thursday, April 7 and teams are still working at filling out their roster. One team that could continue making moves over the comings weeks happens to be the Baltimore Orioles.

Although the Orioles were once a competitive franchise, they've suffered a losing record in five consecutive seasons, finishing at the bottom of the AL East four times over that span. Needless to say, it's understandable if general manager Mike Elias wants to make a few more moves before Opening Day.

Here are three moves that the Orioles need to make before the 2022 MLB season starts.

Orioles Offseason Moves

1. Sign a Veteran Third Basemen

As it stands, Kelvin Gutierrez is slated to be the Orioles' starting third baseman in 2022. He saw 137 at-bats after Baltimore acquired him in July 2021, leading to him recording two home runs, 12 RBIs and a .248/.327/.336 slash line along the way. Although those stats are fairly average, Gutierrez only has 109 games of MLB experience under his belt. That might not be adequate enough if the Orioles hope to take a step forward this season. Fortunately, there are still some credible third basemen out there. Someone like Renato Nunez would be a veteran to split time with Gutierrez at the hot corner. It'd take some pressure off the latter's shoulders while giving Baltimore some much-needed stability.

2. Sign Wilson Ramos to be the Backup Catcher

Much like at third base, the Orioles are without much depth at the catcher position. Robinson Chirinos was brought in this offseason, but he remains the only catcher on the club's depth chart. Bringing in a proven veteran like Wilson Ramos could be a smart move in this situation. The 34-year-old veteran has 990 games of MLB experience under his belt to go along with two All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger award. He might be nearing the end of his career, but his .994 career fielding percentage could come in handy more often than not. Besides, any pitcher paired up with him could learn a lot from his 12 seasons in the league.

3. Take the Reins Off RHP Grayson Rodriguez

Expectations were high for right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez when the Orioles selected him 11th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. Although it took him a while to come into his own, he's now a top-10 prospect, according to Baseball America, and figures to make his majors debut this season. Having said that, the Orioles need to take the reins off Rodriguez and allow him to thrive as the rotation's ace. The 22-year-old didn't throw for more than 6.0 innings or 89 pitches in any of his minor league starts last year. While it's understandable why Baltimore would be cautious, the team is in desperate need of a start pitcher. Rodriguez proved he could be that guy in 23 starts across Double-A and High-A last year, ending with a 9-1 record, 2.62 ERA and 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. If the Orioles want to cause havoc in the AL East, it's time to unleash Rodriguez.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.