There’s no shortage of reasons the Baltimore Orioles are staring at another frustrating season, but the bullpen isn’t really one of them.
Even with Felix Bautista working back from shoulder surgery and Ryan Helsley missing much of the year, Baltimore’s relief corps still finished sixth in fWAR on FanGraphs. The group posted a 3.82 ERA and a 3.74 FIP, marks that ranked 11th and sixth in baseball, respectively. Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano gave the Orioles solid veteran innings, and a wave of less proven arms - Anthony Nunez, Cam Sanders, Alex Hoppe and others - added enough encouraging moments to make the unit look like a strength heading toward 2027.
Still, Mike Elias made it clear at the GM meetings that Baltimore wants to add at least one bullpen piece this winter, and the target is specific: a left-handed reliever.
That need makes sense. Bautista and Helsley are tough to bank on returning to peak form, and the only lefties currently on the 40-man roster are Josh Walker, Grant Wolfram and Philip Abner. If the Orioles want a higher-leverage option from the left side, they’ll have to shop for it.
Adrian Morejon sits at the top of the market, and he’s the obvious splashy name. He recently said he wants to remain in the bullpen even though teams have reportedly shown interest in stretching him back out as a starter.
But that kind of move looks like a long shot for Baltimore. MLB Trade Rumors projects him at five years and $80 million, and San Diego also gave him a qualifying offer, which means any team signing him would also give up a draft pick.
So if the Orioles are looking for a more realistic path, there are still a few left-handed relievers worth circling.
Alex Vesia fits the profile of a dependable late-inning arm. He’s been a steady setup man for the Dodgers since 2021, piling up a 2.66 ERA over 328 innings with 96 holds. His strikeout rate has stayed strong throughout that stretch, dipping below 31% only once, when he sat at 29.5% in 2023.
The last season brought a few warning signs. His average fastball velocity fell to a career-low 92.1 mph, and his walk rate climbed to 13.5%.
Even so, his extreme over-the-top delivery and elite 21-plus inches of induced vertical break help the fastball play up anyway. There’s also a case that the control can rebound; his Location+ on FanGraphs dropped to 92 in 2026, when he’s usually been around league average at 100.
MLB Trade Rumors projects Vesia for two years and $26 million, a steep price for a club that usually hunts for bullpen bargains, but a proven late-inning lefty would be an understandable investment.
Jose Alvarado offers a different kind of appeal: more heat, more volatility, and likely a lower price tag. He returned in 2026 after a PED suspension and still averaged 97 mph with his fastball. The 31-year-old brings a full decade of big league bullpen experience, even if last season wasn’t his sharpest.
His 25% strikeout rate was one of the lowest of his career, but he allowed less contact in the strike zone than he did the year before and generated a little more swing-and-miss there as well. Command was the bigger issue, and that’s where the upside lives if he cleans things up in 2027.
A .377 batting average on balls in play helped drive his 5.86 ERA, while his 3.82 FIP suggested a better performance underneath the surface. He’s not the 2023 version of himself - the one who sat 99 mph, struck out 37% of hitters and posted a 1.74 ERA - but there’s enough here to believe a team could get a better version next year.
AJ Minter rounds out the group as the veteran with the most obvious track record of adapting. He just turned 33, has a significant injury history, and saw his fastball dip to a career-low 93.8 mph last season. But in 45 innings with the Mets and Twins, he still put together a 2.56 ERA, a 22% strikeout rate and a sharp 4% walk rate.
The pitch mix changed, too. After leaning on his four-seamer nearly half the time in recent seasons, Minter cut back on it and leaned more heavily on his cutter and changeup.
Both worked: opponents hit .208 against the cutter and .150 against the changeup. His 4.46 FIP raises some concern, but the adjusted approach and the command he showed were enough to prove he can still get outs.
In Other News...
Orioles Trade Talk With Pirates Comes Down To One Infield Decision
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The Pirates fit naturally into that conversation. Pittsburgh has built around a promising young starting staff, but it is still looking for help on the infield, which creates the kind of match that could make sense for both sides. For the Orioles, the question is less about whether a deal is possible than which infielder they would be willing to part with, and that decision may end up shaping how aggressive they can be on the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Have An Outfield Fix That Makes Too Much Sense
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That search naturally points to the trade market, where the Orioles could look for a player who raises the floor on both sides of the ball without forcing a bigger roster shuffle than necessary. Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan stands out as the kind of target that makes immediate sense for Baltimore, thanks to the way he has contributed offensively and defensively in 2026. The challenge, as always, is whether a player with that profile is actually available and what kind of price the Orioles would have to pay to get him. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Still Have One Big Bullpen Decision Hanging Over 2027
The Orioles may have spent the winter building out their bullpen, but one of the biggest late-inning questions still sits out in front of them: who gets the ninth inning in 2027? Flix Bautista and Ryan Helsley both have the kind of track records that make them obvious candidates when healthy, and both are expected to be in the mix once they get through their recoveries.
Mike Elias has made it clear the club is not locking anything in yet, and that the answer will depend on how the roster takes shape and how each pitcher comes back. For Baltimore, it is a reminder that bullpen depth is only part of the equation. The real issue is whether either arm is ready to reclaim the high-leverage role the Orioles had in mind when they put this group together. [Read more 🡒]