The Baltimore Orioles have been on a mission this offseason, making waves with a flurry of trades and signings. After finishing last in the AL East, standing still wasn't an option for the O's. They’ve been busy, and it shows.
One standout move is bringing Pete Alonso into the fold. His impact on the lineup could be game-changing in 2026.
Plus, the Orioles snagged Andrew Kittredge back from the Cubs, and let’s not overlook the promising addition of 18-year-old shortstop prospect Wilfri De La Cruz from Chicago. These moves are looking like masterstrokes.
However, the Orioles had one clear priority: landing an ace. While they missed out on that front, they did bolster their rotation with Shane Baz, reunited with Zach Eflin, and signed Chris Bassitt. It’s a solid depth boost, but does it hit the mark?
Some insiders think the Orioles are on the right track. A rival executive noted, “They have a really good lineup, some high upside bets in the rotation, and a good history of building bullpens.
They didn’t mortgage the future to compete in ‘26. I think they will be in the wild-card hunt.”
But is that enough? The Orioles could have potentially preserved their assets while adding certainty at the top of the rotation.
Looking at the rotation, the Orioles have six capable starters: Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Chris Bassitt, Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer. Plus, there's depth with Cade Povich, Tyler Wells, and Albert Suarez. But with injury concerns surrounding Rogers, Bradish, Baz, and Eflin, the question remains: can one of these arms rise to be the ace they need?
The AL East is no joke. The Red Sox boast a Cy Young contender in Garrett Crochet and another top arm in Ranger Suarez.
The Yankees have Max Fried and the returning Gerrit Cole, while the Blue Jays brought in Dylan Cease, a consistent Cy Young contender. These teams have depth and firepower, so Baltimore can’t just rely on their bats.
Would the Orioles have been better off signing someone like Ranger Suarez and using Povich as backup? Or perhaps reallocating Ryan Mountcastle’s salary to pursue Framber Valdez? They could have even saved prospects used for Shane Baz and targeted Freddy Peralta instead.
Despite all these moves, the payroll has only increased by about $20 million. This raises questions, especially when David Rubenstein mentioned there were no financial limits.
And remember when Mike Elias talked about long deals for top arms? Instead, they opted for short-term deals with mid-rotation veterans.
The Orioles are undoubtedly improved from last year, but in the fiercely competitive AL East, the question remains: is their strategy of quantity over quality in the rotation enough to make a real impact?