The Orioles are heading into the GM Meetings with their offseason priorities out in the open, and Mike Elias isn’t pretending otherwise. The bullpen needs help.
The outfield needs help. The roster, as a whole, is still very much in play.
That was the broad message from Elias and new general manager Jared Banner in Las Vegas, where reporters got a chance to hear how Baltimore is approaching the winter. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner collected the main points, and the picture is pretty clear: the Orioles know where the holes are, even if filling them is another matter.
One of the first notable details was Banner confirming that Mike Shildt will return as upper-level coordinator of instruction. That matters because it falls squarely under Banner’s responsibilities, and it suggests he’s comfortable keeping some continuity in place. The major league coaching staff is also expected to return unless someone gets poached, which is a little surprising, especially on the offensive side.
Elias also said he has already spoken with a few current infielders about possibly getting time in the outfield during spring training, though he didn’t name names. That fits with the speculation that Coby Mayo could be a better fit in a corner outfield spot than at third base, and that Jackson Holliday’s speed might play well on the grass.
Health-wise, the Orioles are projecting a cleaner spring. Jordan Westburg is expected to be a “normal citizen” when camp opens, which appears to mean he’ll be fully recovered from elbow surgery.
Holliday is in the same boat with his wrist. The question is whether that holds up by February.
The bullpen remains the biggest uncertainty, and Elias didn’t sugarcoat it. Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista are part of the plan, but he also made it clear the club can’t just bank on them.
“With both having injured 2026s, I don’t know if that’s entirely what we can rely on. We’ll see what moves we make over this winter.”
Elias also addressed the trade chatter that has followed the Orioles around this offseason. He essentially confirmed that everyone on the roster is available in some sense, while drawing a line between listening and actively shopping players.
“A lot of our key, core players are very unlikely to go anywhere…We’re talking to everybody about everything right now. … It’s part of our job, especially if a guy is not on a big, long-term contract, we’ve got to listen.
But it doesn’t mean we’re motivated to trade players.”
There was also a note about Trevor Rogers, with Elias saying the Orioles want him back but have other paths if he signs elsewhere. So the rotation is part of the winter work too, not just the bullpen and the outfield.
That’s the challenge now: identifying the weak spots is the easy part. Fixing them has been where things have gone sideways in recent years.
The outfield looks especially tricky, because the free-agent market is thin and the internal options come with a lot of uncertainty. Even so, it’s a problem the Orioles have to address.
It may be the clearest need on the roster.
Vinny Nittoli turns 30 today. He pitched in two games for the Orioles during the 2024 season.
J.R. House is 47 years old. During the 2007 season he played in 19 games as a reserve catcher for the O’s.
The late Ike Delock was born on this day. The right-handed pitcher finished his 11-season career with a seven-game stint on the Orioles in 1963 after spending the prior decade with the Red Sox.
On this day in Orioles history, Jimmy Dykes was named manager of the Baltimore Orioles in 1953, replacing Marty Marion. And in 1970, Boog Powell was named AL MVP after posting a .297 average with 35 home runs and 114 RBI, enough to edge Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew and Carl Yastrzemski.
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