The Orioles have lost at least 108 games in each of the last three full baseball seasons. Carlos Correa is one of the most enticing free agents to hit the market in a while, a 27-year-old shortstop who figures to have years remaining of star-level play at one of the premium defensive positions. He has been reportedly seeking a contract worth at least $300 million.
On the surface, nothing seems to point to any kind of connection between these two. Even if we were discussing this seven years ago, when the Orioles were in the midst of a competitive period, the idea of the Orioles outbidding the gigantic payroll teams for a player of Correa’s caliber would have been a pure flight of fancy.