The Orioles’ free-agent class is led by Trevor Rogers, and then the market drops off fast.
Rogers stands out as the one Baltimore free agent likely to draw real attention. The left-hander, who turns 29 on November 13, is ranked second on MLBTradeRumors.com’s top 50 free agents and third on FanGraphs. Beyond him, the list gets thin in a hurry.
The only other Oriole showing up on three major rankings is outfielder Luis Robert Jr. FanGraphs has him 41st, MLBTradeRumors puts him 43rd, and ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel slots him 47th. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, who ranks only 40 free agents, leaves Robert off entirely.
Robert’s Baltimore stint never really got going. The Orioles claimed him off waivers from the New York Mets on August 31, with president of baseball operations Mike Elias hoping he could carry over a strong August in New York and help the club’s playoff push. Instead, Robert played in just three games, logged 11 at-bats, injured his left hamstring, and finished his seven-year, $70 million contract on the injured list.
Baltimore had the choice of exercising his $20 million option for 2027 or buying out the deal for $2 million. The Orioles chose the buyout, and Robert is now on the open market.
All three rankings project him for a one-year deal, with McDaniel at $10.5 million and MLBTradeRumors.com and FanGraphs both at $14 million. MLBTradeRumors sees the Padres, Reds or Royals as possible fits.
Chris Bassitt is another name to watch, though his situation comes with more uncertainty. He signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal as spring training opened in February, then dealt with back surgery and missed more than two months.
Bassitt finished 9-5 with a 4.59 ERA in 20 games, 18 starts, and after the surgery in June he went 5-1 with a 3.74 ERA in eight starts. That late stretch could help his case.
Bassitt, who turns 38 on February 22, said after his final start that he was torn about pitching again, noting that his family would like him home but that he still enjoys the game. He’s also one of eight members of the Major League Players Association Executive Subcommittee, so he’ll be deeply involved in negotiations for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. If the expected December 1 lockout stretches into spring training, that could make it tougher for Bassitt to land the right situation if he decides to keep going.
Andrew Kittredge is also back on the market after returning to the Orioles from the Chicago Cubs for the 2026 season. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract in January 2025 that included a one-year, $9 million deal with a $1 million buyout for 2026.
Baltimore traded him to the Cubs in July 2025 after purchasing his contract last November. Kittredge, who turns 37 next March, went 3-3 with a 3.54 ERA and a team-high 11 saves in 2026, and he should find another team for 2027, though age makes him less likely to be a top priority.
Right-hander Zach Eflin is in a different category entirely. His $25 million mutual option was declined, leaving him a free agent for the second time in two years.
Eflin had Tommy John surgery in April and may not sign until he’s ready to pitch again. With transactions likely to be frozen on December 1, teams may not rush to add rehabbing players they can wait on until after the lockout ends.
That same logic could apply to left-handed reliever Keegan Akin, who had Tommy John surgery in July and could miss the entire 2027 season.
The Orioles also moved on from first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle on Monday, declining his $7.5 million option. He’s expected to be a late signing and may have to accept a minor league contract. Heston Kjerstad, the overall No. 2 pick in 2020, was released Monday and went unclaimed on waivers.
Outfielder Leody Taveras, who played 139 games for the Orioles this season, is now an early free agent after the club passed on keeping him in arbitration. Catcher Yohel Pozo and right-hander Yosver Zulueta are also free agents.
Outfielders Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish and right-handed pitchers Braxton Bragg and Patrick Reilly were named to the American League team for Sunday’s Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game, set for 8 p.m. on MLB Network.
In Other News...
Orioles Trade Buzz Now Centers On A Young Core Decision
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Orioles Face A Real Catching Question Around Samuel Basallo
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Orioles Rotation Uncertainty Puts One Predicted Move In Focus
The Orioles are heading into the offseason with one of the more interesting rotation questions on their hands, and Trevor Rogers sits at the center of it. His future in Baltimore is uncertain as free agency looms, leaving the club with a possible hole to fill in a staff that could use more stability. For a team trying to keep its pitching picture from shifting too much, the timing makes every possible rotation addition worth watching.
Clay Holmes has quickly become one of the names to monitor. The former Yankees reliever, now working as a starter with the Cubs, has been linked as a possible fit for Baltimore, with reports pointing to the kind of multi-year deal that would signal a real commitment to shoring up the rotation. Nothing is official yet, but if the Orioles do decide to make a move in that direction, it would say plenty about how aggressively they plan to address their pitching depth this winter. [Read more 🡒]