The Baltimore Orioles signed closer Craig Kimbrel to a deal this offseason, which helps solidify the team’s bullpen, especially in the wake of the season-long injury to Felix Bautista.

Now, the O’s are reportedly looking to fortify their starting rotation heading in 2024. While free agents like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still out there, it appears that Baltimore prefers the trade market.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Baltimore is talking to the Chicago White Sox about a trade for ace Dylan Cease. They are also talking with the Miami Marlins about multiple arms, presumably including Jesus Luzardo and Edward Cabrera.

Baltimore’s need for starting pitching is well-publicized, and it’s even more glaring after the team saw Jack Flaherty and Kyle Gibson depart in free agency. The O’s won 101 games last season and earned the top seed in the AL playoffs, but they’ll need to improve the rotation if they want to get deeper into the playoffs.

The 27-year-old Cease struggled in 2023, just as the White Sox did. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. He’s still an elite strikeout artist, fanning 214 batters in 177.0 innings. Lifetime, he’s 43-35 with a 4.58 ERA. He finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2022.

As for Luzardo, one of the top young lefties in the sport, he’s coming off a season in which he went 10-10 for Miami with a 3.58 ERA. He’s under contract through 2026.

Cabrera, 25, is 13-14 lifetime with a 4.01 ERA. He went 7-7 a season ago for the Marlins, who advanced to the NL playoffs.