The Orioles are heading into the offseason with their roster already starting to shift, and the first wave of decisions is coming fast.
Free agency officially opened yesterday, though no one can actually sign elsewhere for five days. In the meantime, teams are working through options, opt-outs and roster housekeeping, all while knowing a lockout could arrive on Dec. 1.
Baltimore has a few notable calls to make in that window. The club holds a $7.5 million option on Ryan Mountcastle, inherited a $20 million option on Luis Robert Jr., and built Dietrich Enns’ contract with a $3.5 million option and a $125,000 buyout. The Orioles appear more likely to go with the $2 million buyout on Robert, whose injuries and slipping production have changed the math, though they could still try to work out a friendlier deal if they want to keep a right-handed bat with pop who can handle center field.
(It became breaking news last night that the Orioles are expected to decline the option. Also breaking is how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.)
Another deadline is sitting right on top of all this: qualifying offers worth $23.15 million must be made by Monday. Rogers is the only Orioles free agent in position to receive one.
Veteran starter Chris Bassitt and relievers Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin also hit free agency yesterday, with Akin doing so for the first time after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July. He would need a two-year deal.
The Orioles also have to clear room on the 40-man roster as players come off the 60-day injured list. Helsley, Kyle Bradish, Colin Selby, Jordan Westburg and Tyler O’Neill will need to be added back, and the roster was full before yesterday. Free agents don’t count against that total, so Rogers, Bassitt, Kittredge and Akin have already come off it.
One of the few outright roster moves involved infielder José Barrero, who was removed from the 40-man roster and elected free agency, according to MLB writer Francys Romero. Barrero appeared in two games for Baltimore in the final week of the season and went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts. In Triple-A Norfolk, the native of Cuba hit 23 home runs in 124 games but batted .202 with a .705 OPS and struck out 140 times.
There’s also a small but meaningful arbitration wrinkle for one Orioles reliever. ESPN reported that the Super Two cutoff landed at 2 years and 133 days of major league service.
That creates an extra year of arbitration eligibility for some players, and it’s a rough turn for Rico Garcia, who sits at 2 years and 130 days. Garcia made $900,000 this season after leading the club with 75 appearances and posting a 3.09 ERA, 0.970 WHIP and 10 saves over 67 innings.
As for the trade market, MLBTradeRumors.com did not include a single Oriole among its top 40 trade candidates. But when the site turned to “others to watch,” Baltimore showed up there.
Robert, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo were the names listed.
Holliday would be the most surprising of that group to move, though the infield picture could make the Orioles at least consider everything. Cowser, a plus defender who can handle any outfield spot, has gone from fifth-overall pick and runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year to a platoon role.
Mayo, meanwhile, crushed left-handed pitching, slashing .322/.393/.712 and hitting 16 of his 24 home runs against them. His path to steady at-bats is tougher with Pete Alonso at first base and a crowded mix at third, but the bat still gives him real value in a smaller role.
And as always, the front office will “listen on” anyone if another club comes with an offer too good to ignore.
In Other News...
Orioles GM Just Sent A Clear Message About Fixing The Young Core
Jared Banners first public remarks as the Orioles new general manager offered a clear look at the kind of front-office voice Baltimore is bringing in. At his introductory press conference, Banner placed player development at the center of his philosophy, stressing that the organization has to keep raising standards while helping young talent keep moving forward. He also pointed to Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong as an example of the type of growth a player can make when development takes hold.
For Orioles fans, the most notable part was how Banner framed the young core without rushing to judgment. He said it is too early to make any final call on shortstop Gunnar Hendersons future, which fits the broader message of patience and structure around Baltimores next step. Banner also made clear that the club will lean on analytics, but not as the only tool in the room, signaling a more flexible approach to teaching as the Orioles try to keep their promising group on track. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Now Face Keegan Akin Fallout They Never Needed
Keegan Akin has been part of the Orioles picture since they drafted him in 2016, long enough to become one of those familiar bullpen names that has seen both good stretches and rough ones. His career in Baltimore has always come with a little volatility, and 2026 followed that pattern before the season took an especially discouraging turn, with a poor start compounded by a groin injury that already put him in a difficult spot.
Now the Orioles are dealing with a far bigger issue around a pitcher who was already set to hit the market soon. Akins elbow injury and the Tommy John surgery that followed not only ended his season, it also leaves his free-agency outlook in a far different place than it looked a few months ago, with the recovery timeline likely to wipe out most or all of 2027 as well. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Put More Pressure On Their New Front Office
The Orioles have spent the opening stretch of the offseason trying to reset their baseball operations structure, and the introductory press conference for new general manager Jared Banner only added to the sense that this front office is still taking shape. With a lockout looming and roster decisions piling up, Baltimore is asking its new setup to move quickly while also sorting out who will handle what inside the organization.
Mike Elias has already signaled that Banner is expected to shoulder a significant workload, which only raises the stakes for the decisions ahead. Baltimores path is a little more complicated now, too, because the Brewers just finished a championship run that put a spotlight on how quickly an organization can turn a strong plan into a parade, and the Orioles are still in the middle of defining their own next step. [Read more 🡒]