For two seasons, fans in Birdland have heard there would be a significant increase in payroll and that money was no object under the new ownership group, led by David Rubenstein.
While there was an increase in payroll, it was not along the lines of what many in Birdland, or even baseball pundits expected, especially from a team struggling to keep starting pitching healthy and a bullpen consistent.
There were grumblings throughout Charm City that maybe Mike Elias was not the general manager many originally thought he was. He had a great eye for talent, but when it came to enticing free agents or pulling off that blockbuster trade, there was little that showed how shrewd Elias truly was.
Many believed that Elias was entering this offseason on the hot seat, that is until it was reported that he received a promotion to president of baseball operations and would remain acting-GM until one was found, which would probably not be this year.
Heading into this offseason, the O’s rotation needed external improvement, and the bullpen needed retooling.
Elias and the Birds didn’t waste any time jumping into the waters by re-signing right-hander Rico Garcia and acquiring righty Andrew Kittredge, picking up his 2026 option. It was a good start, only to be followed up by signing former All-Star Ryan Helsley to be the closer for 2026, with an option year for the following season.
The Orioles’ front office brass showed up to the MLB Winter Meetings, and if there was an arm to be had, the Birds were in on every one of them, though no deals were made before the closing of the meetings.
Regardless, every outlet and insider was reporting about how aggressive the O’s were being, especially with the signing of top free agent slugger Pete Alonso, signifying that money was going to be spent.
Elias decided to flex his muscle, trading five prospects and a compensatory pick to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for 26-year-old right-hander Shane Baz, filling the first three spots of the Orioles’ rotation.
The Birds would then bring back 2024 unsung hero, right-hander Albert Suárez, on a minor league deal and re-sign veteran righty Zach Eflin to fill in a back-of-the-rotation spot.
Anyone keeping track, that’s five pitchers signed and/or acquired during a six-week period. The Orioles managed to rebuild their rotation and bring in strong arms into the bullpen.
The question remains: Is this all the Orioles need to do, or should they do more?
The rotation appears almost set with Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer, with Cade Povich and Tyler Wells vying for a spot. There is also Brandon Young and the aforementioned Albert Suárez, who will both compete for a roster spot this spring.
The Orioles have been linked to a couple of pitchers through trades as well, and they do hold pieces, whether that is a veteran such as Ryan Mountcastle or a former top prospect in Coby Mayo, both right-handed power first basemen who offer upside to any team.
Then there is the still young, unproven Heston Kjerstad, who has shown glimpses with his bat. He would be a good reclamation project, especially after teams saw what happened with Kyle Stowers after he was traded.
Of course, the bullpen is far from complete. The back-end might have Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley, but who else fills a role? Keegan Akin returns as a lefty specialist, and Rico Garcia was brought back, but he does have a wild side.
Can Yennier Cano be trusted again after his struggles last season? There are arms that were forced into action but were part of one of the worst bullpens in the league last season. How can you march them back out there?
There still is plenty of time before spring training begins, so panicking right now is an over reaction. However, there has to be some question as to where do the Orioles stand.
Are they done turning up the heat on the stove, or were they letting things cook a bit before they increase the heat and add some arms to a team that discovered last year, you can never have too many?
Hopefully, Elias has a few more tricks up his sleeve, especially if the Birds want to return to the postseason.
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