Baltimore Orioles could benefit from the New York Yankees' interesting offseason situation

The New York Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles' biggest rival, have as much free agency as any team in Major League Baseball.

With Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole potentially becoming free agents, there's a chance the Yankees won't have two of their top three players on the roster returning in 2025.

There are many reasons why this would benefit the Orioles as they represent their biggest threat in the American League East.

The situation is a little different with Cole, as Soto will definitely have free agency. As for the right-hander, he could opt out of his $144 million contract from 2025 to 2028 and become a free agent if New York doesn't extend his $36 million contract for a tenth year.

From his perspective, it's an easy decision to get out of his deal and secure long-term money in the later stages of his career.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted exactly that.

“It will be an interesting game of cat and mouse this offseason between Cole – a Boras client – ​​and the Yankees. He is now 34 and has pitched more than 1,950 innings in his career. But the Yankees probably need him more than he needs them,” and the bet is that they will ultimately guarantee him $36 million in 2028, his age-37 season. If the Yankees opt out of Cole and decline his 2028 option, they could be left empty-handed when he leaves free agency because he is ineligible for the qualifying offer after previously receiving one from the Houston Astros following the 2019 season had received.

It will be an interesting decision from the Yankees' perspective as there is reason to believe they could potentially let him walk.

If they want to sign Soto to a lucrative deal, they need as much money as possible.

The problem, however, would be that with a long-term contract they would still have to compete in other areas. Signing a player to a massive extension and not having their ace back wouldn't get them anywhere.

There is a situation here where Baltimore gets a perfect score and loses both players. For a team that could use a step back from its biggest rival, this is something to keep an eye on for Orioles fans.

However, the same goes for Baltimore's free agency as there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club.