The Orioles don’t need just one arm this winter. They need a real upgrade package, and they need it badly.
That’s the clearest takeaway from a roster that, for all its overachievement in 2026, still looks miles away from seriously closing the gap in the AL East. Over the last two years, Baltimore has finished a collective 39 games off the pace, and the pitching side of the ledger has been a huge part of that.
Relief help can be found. Starting pitching is another beast entirely.
Right now, the Orioles have Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Brandon Young as the names to build around for next season, but even that trio comes with real questions. And with multiple analysts agreeing that Baltimore needs two quality starters just to have a chance at keeping up with the best teams in the American League, the path forward feels pretty obvious: trade for one and sign one.
That’s especially true with the free-agent market looking thin and an ownership group that doesn’t exactly project a blank-check attitude. So the smart play is probably a mix of aggression and restraint - and a little bit of risk.
On “The Daily Flock” this week, Dan Szymborski landed on the name that probably sits at the top of the Orioles’ wish list: Shane McClanahan.
“I'd love to see them, you know, acquire Shane McClanahan from the Rays,” Szymborski said.
It’s easy to see why. McClanahan is an ace, plain and simple.
He has a Cy Young resume, he’s got only one year of control left, and Baltimore native or not, he checks the kind of box the Orioles desperately need to check. The Rays also have a track record of dealing with Baltimore, and Mike Elias has already shown a willingness to swing big on a short-term starter, just like he did with Corbin Burnes.
The obvious concern, of course, is health. McClanahan’s injury history is part of the package, and Szymborski didn’t dance around that.
“I do think you can make that case,” he said, in reference to taking on McClanahan’s arm risk. “I do think that there is an opportunity, given the risk and there is risk involved, but you have to take risk to win. And if you want to be good in 2027, some risk is going to have to be absorbed.
“You're going to have to roll the dice at some point. And I think that's probably from a from a big picture - forest for the trees standpoint - I think the biggest problem with the Orioles right now is they're very risk adverse.”
If McClanahan is the dream target, Eduardo Rodriguez is the more familiar alternative. A trade with Arizona would reunite the Orioles with a former farmhand, and Szymborski signed off on that possibility too.
“I think that's a reasonable approach to take,” he said.
He also pointed to former Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen as a bounce-back candidate and said a reunion with left-hander Trevor Rogers would make sense as well.
Among right-handers, Freddy Peralta has been a name worth circling for a while, and Szymborski likes that fit too. The health piece matters there, especially for a Baltimore staff that has been battered over the years and can’t count on 180 innings from every arm it adds.
“I think it's certainly a possibility, especially because he does have a good health record,” he noted. “And you do have to kind of evaluate that, especially considering some of the injuries that the Orioles have had over the years … And when you're talking about some of (the Orioles’) pitching prospects - because there are a couple more than there used to be - you do have to question (their immediate impact) and they’re not going to come in and throw 180 innings. So, Peralta is pretty appealing in that way.”
The full discussion also touched on Gunnar Henderson’s value, whether a Byron Buxton trade makes sense, and just how far this roster still is from winning anything.
In Other News...
Shane Baz Gave The Orioles More Than His Record Suggests
Shane Bazs first season in Baltimore didnt show up kindly in the win-loss column, but the Orioles had plenty of reasons to view it differently. After acquiring him from the Rays before the 2026 season in a trade that cost multiple prospects and then locking him in with a five-year extension, the club asked for stability at the front of the rotation. Baz delivered volume, taking the ball 31 times and piling up 180 innings while continuing to build back toward his pre-surgery form.
The record, of course, was rough at 6-15, and the 4.11 ERA will never tell the whole story on its own. Baltimore gave him poor run support in too many of those starts, and the stronger FIP suggested the right-hander was better than the raw results implied. More important for the Orioles, Baz looked like a pitcher who had moved further along in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, leaving him positioned as a significant part of what they want the rotation to become next. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Rotation Questions Just Got Bigger With Cade Povich
Cade Povichs bid to factor into the Orioles 2027 rotation took another hit this week, though the club still expects the left-hander to be back in time for Spring Training. Povich underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow after a 2026 season that already included a stint on the injured list for elbow inflammation, a reminder of how quickly a promising arm can run into trouble when a young pitcher is trying to carve out a bigger role.
For Baltimore, the timing matters because the rotation picture could look very different by next season, especially if some arms reach free agency. Povich had been on the radar as a candidate for a starting job, but his late-season struggles and this latest setback only add more uncertainty to a group that could use stability, health and a few clear answers heading into 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Big Question About A Bold Left Field Fix
The Orioles search for a cleaner answer in left field has already started to shape the conversation around their offseason, and Seiya Suzuki sits near the center of it. A right-handed hitter with a polished bat and enough defensive ability to handle the outfield, Suzuki checks a lot of the boxes Baltimore has been weighing as it looks for a more dependable fit in a part of the roster that has invited debate.
Still, any pursuit would have to account for more than just what Suzuki brings on the field. The Orioles have to consider how their ballpark can influence a players value, while the front office also has to weigh the broader market and what a move like this could mean beyond Baltimore. Suzukis appeal in Japan only adds another layer to a decision that is as much about strategy and fit as it is about adding another bat. [Read more 🡒]