The Orioles entered the offseason knowing that they needed more from their starting rotation in 2023 if they were going to take a significant step forward. The unit was better than anticipated this past season thanks to a breakout performance from Dean Kremer, the steadying hand of Jordan Lyles, and surprisingly solid work from Austin Voth and Spenser Watkins. They were competitive night-to-night, but they were also buoyed by a stellar bullpen. Improvements were needed.
Urgency for such upgrades was increased because the O’s are likely to be without John Means for at least the start of the 2023 season.