The first big free-agent move came fast, and Emilio Pagán is headed to Detroit.
The veteran right-hander, who just declined his $10 million player option with the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the Tigers. It will be the seventh major league stop for Pagán, who has also pitched for Seattle, Oakland, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
On the surface, his 2026 line looks solid enough: 42.2 innings, 25 saves, a 3.38 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. But the deeper dive explains why teams were circling him. His ERA sat at 6.23 over his first 17.2 innings, and a Grade 2 hamstring strain didn’t help matters, sidelining him from May 5 until he came off the IL on July 1.
After that, Pagán settled in and finished strong. Over his final 25.1 innings, he posted a 1.42 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP, striking out 27 and walking only three. He is expected to slide into Kenley Jansen’s old closer role.
The Orioles also made a notable move by bringing back Mike Shildt as upper-level coordinator of instruction. There was never much doubt they wanted him back, though new general manager Jared Banner may have wanted to speak with him before giving the final green light. No term was mentioned for Shildt’s deal, which suggests the arrangement may be year-to-year for now.
Shildt arrives with a strong track record. He managed the Cardinals for four seasons and the Padres for two, posting winning percentages of .559 and .565, respectively. Across six years as a big league manager, he got his teams into the postseason five times.
There’s also a long Orioles connection here. Shildt worked with Matt Blood in St.
Louis, back when Blood was in player development with the Cardinals. When Shildt stepped away from the Padres job, Blood reached out, and Shildt was brought into the Orioles’ orbit for 2026 to help refine some of the organization’s top prospects.
His ties to Cal Ripken Jr. run even deeper. Shildt was a clubhouse attendant and bat boy with the Charlotte Orioles in 1979 and 1980, and the two built a close relationship that has lasted for 45 years. With Banner, Ripken and Shildt all involved on the development side, the Orioles may finally start seeing their prospects play the game the right way.
The baseball world also lost Bob Boone, who died at 78.
Boone was one of the smartest and most skilled catchers of his era, and for anyone who watched the Phillies in the 1970s and early ’80s, he was a familiar and trusted presence behind the plate. He caught regularly from his rookie season in 1973 through 1981 and was the starting catcher on the Phillies’ 1980 World Series championship team. He also spent years as Steve Carlton’s batterymate.
Boone was part of the first three-generation major league family. His father was Ray Boone, and his sons are Aaron Boone, now the Yankees manager, and former Mariners second baseman Bret Boone. Bob also managed the Royals and Reds for three seasons apiece.
His passing brought back a wave of warm baseball memories.
One more name to keep an eye on: Darwinzon Hernández.
The former Orioles farmhand, who was originally a highly ranked Red Sox prospect, is coming off a strong three-year run in Japan. Baltimore acquired him from Boston for cash in 2023, and he posted a 2.96 ERA at Norfolk before being released that July.
In Japan, Hernández was a converted reliever and the results were eye-opening. From 2024 through 2026, he logged 141 innings with ERAs of 2.12, 2.98 and 1.41. He allowed just six home runs, struck out 178 batters and finished with a combined 1.01 WHIP.
He’s still only 30, and if someone wants to get his attention, it might take a two-year offer worth $10 million. Clearly, he found something in Japan that helped him throw strikes with real velocity.
In Other News...
Orioles Still Have One Big Problem After The Rutschman Trade
The Orioles decision to move Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers to Boston was always going to reshape the roster, but it also left Baltimore staring at a familiar question behind the plate. Carlos Narvez came back in the deal and gave the club something to work with defensively, especially in the way he handled blocking pitches, yet his offense never really caught up during the 2026 season.
So even after the trade, the catcher spot remains unsettled, and that matters for a team trying to keep moving forward. Baltimore is expected to keep looking this offseason for a backstop with more offensive upside than Narvez, which means the Orioles may not be done addressing one of the most important positions on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Trade Talk May Be Getting Uncomfortable For One Core Piece
As the General Managers Meetings approach, the Orioles are once again in the familiar place every contender eventually reaches: sorting out who is truly off-limits and who could end up in the conversation if the right deal comes along. Baltimore has a young core worth protecting, but the roster and contract picture also create the kind of questions front offices cant ignore, especially when other clubs start asking about impact talent and long-term control.
Gunnar Henderson sits near the center of that discussion because of what he means to the franchise and how much interest he would draw if the Orioles ever entertained the idea of moving a core piece. The same broader trade chatter has also touched players such as Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday, with Baltimore weighing performance, fit and future needs against the realities of building around a roster that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Have A Dylan Beavers Voting Mystery Fans Will Notice
Dylan Beavers turned up in the American League Rookie of the Year voting with a lone fifth-place vote, a curious footnote for an Orioles rookie whose season line did not exactly scream award candidate. He finished tied for 12th in the balloting, even though his first big-league campaign came with a .680 OPS, nine home runs and negative WAR marks from both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
The odd part is not just the vote itself, but the silence around it. Andrew Destin was the voter who included Beavers on his ballot, and he has not publicly explained what led him to that choice, leaving Orioles fans to wonder what he saw that the numbers did not. In a year when the voting mostly followed the expected script, that one stray name stands out all the more. [Read more 🡒]