Trevor Rogers has made no secret of how much he likes Baltimore. He’s also not pretending free agency won’t be a little thrilling.
After what may have been his last outing in an Orioles uniform, the left-hander talked openly in New York about what the club has meant to him and about the chance to finally see what the open market has to offer this winter.
Rogers wrapped up his 30th start with a 4.03 ERA over 169 2/3 innings, and he’s set to become a free agent. He could still stay put if he and the Orioles work out an extension or if he accepts the one-year qualifying offer, but that feels like a long shot. He’s expected to draw plenty of attention as one of the more appealing starting pitchers available.
Tarik Skubal is the headliner. Still, for teams that come up empty in the chase for the former Detroit Tigers ace who now pitches for the Los Angelos Dodgers following a midseason trade, Rogers stands out as a strong fallback option.
The qualifying offer, set at just above $22 million for 2026, would give the Orioles a possible path to keep him. If Rogers turns it down and signs elsewhere, the team that lands him would owe Baltimore a draft pick. Spotrac projects his market value at about $32 million per year.
For Rogers, reaching this point carries real meaning. He reminded reporters that free agency is something earned, not handed out.
“I earned the right to make it to free agency,” Rogers said. “I’m very happy with [it], and I also get to test the market and see what that says, and that’s kind of the exciting thing about the whole ordeal.
I finally get a say about where I want to go. I’ve made it known about this place, how I feel about this place, and we’ll see how the business of baseball shakes out.”
He’s said all season that he’d like to stay in Baltimore for the long term, but no extension has been completed. President of baseball operations Mike Elias didn’t respond when asked Friday whether he has approached Rogers.
As he sizes up what comes next, Rogers said he’ll be looking for a team with the right mix of winning, talent and support.
“A good, quality organization that focuses on winning, has a lot of really good talent, good coaching staff, solid fanbase,” he said. “That’s some of the things that I look at, as far as what the future holds.
It’s going to be fun talking through that with teams. I’m looking forward to it.”
Baltimore got Rogers at the 2024 trade deadline, and his first stint there was brief. He appeared in just four games before being optioned to the minor leagues. Once he returned early in 2025, though, he settled in as a dominant starter.
He put up a 1.81 ERA in 18 games last year, then followed that with another strong season.
With the Orioles eliminated and his final start in the books, Rogers says the next few days are about enjoying the people around him before the business side takes over.
“To be honest, I would love to be back here.” Rogers said.
“The business side of baseball, you never know. So, as of now, I’m going to enjoy these last couple days with the fellas and really enjoy being with the guys, and then go home and see my dog.”
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