Baltimore Orioles keeping tabs on outfielder Ichiro Suzuki

According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Baltimore Orioles have at least some level of interest in free agent outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who spent the past three seasons with the division rival New York Yankees.

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Suzuki, who is heading into his age 41 season, has declined over the last few years, but even “down” years for the former Japanese standout – such as in 2014 when he batted .284/.324/.340 – are better than most players’ good seasons. In 143 games with New York, Suzuki stoke 15 bases – something he once excelled at in his earlier days as a member of the Seattle Mariners – while being caught just three times.

Baltimore lost longtime outfielder Nick Markakis to the Atlanta Braves earlier this season, and with the departure of outfielder and designated hitter Nelson Cruz to the Seattle Mariners, the club has been tied to countless veteran outfield names this offseason, including the likes of Colby Rasmus and Nori Aoki.

In his prime, Suzuki was the best hitter in all of baseball. He broke onto the big league scene back in 2001 with Seattle, winning both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, respectively, after batting .350/.381/.457 and swiping 56 bases in his first professional campaign. Over the course of his career in Seattle, he racked up a staggering 2,533 hits – adding another 311 as a member of the Yankees.

Despite his age, he has shown only minor signs of slowing down offensively. Multiple clubs, including the likes of Baltimore, could use a reliable outfield option in 2015, but whether or not the Orioles can lure Suzuki to Baltimore in 2015 remains to be seen – especially with the multiple other options that are available that, to be frank, have a lot more left in the tank than the ten-time American League All-Star.

Baltimore currently heads into 2015 with the likes of Adam Jones, Alejandro De Aza and David Lough as the starting outfield. With the return of Chris Davis at first base, the O’s’ Steve Pearce is also an outfield option should the team sit pat this winter.