The Orioles spent the last few years trying to turn a deliberate teardown into a contender, and for a while it looked like the plan was working. Now the picture is much murkier.
Baltimore finished below .500 in both 2025 and 2026 after winning 101 games in 2023 and then going right back into the postseason only to get swept out by the Rangers in the ALDS. The 2024 club followed with 91 wins and another Wild Card berth, but that run ended the same way, with a sweep at the hands of the Royals. Since then, the roster has been stripped down piece by piece, and the club that once looked loaded with young talent now feels far less secure.
Adley Rutschman was dealt to the division-rival Red Sox at the deadline. Jackson Holliday still has time to prove himself, but he has not broken through yet in the majors.
Gunnar Henderson has been more good than great lately, Jordan Westburg missed the entire 2026 season because of injuries, and Colton Cowser profiles as a serviceable but flawed center fielder. Kyle Bradish is solid, but not exactly a lineup centerpiece.
Samuel Basallo has inherited the catcher-of-the-future label and hasn’t done much with it yet. Grayson Rodriguez was traded last winter for Taylor Ward, who then got moved again at the deadline.
DL Hall and Joey Ortiz were sent out for Corbin Burnes, who left after one year. Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby went in the Trevor Rogers deal, and Rogers is now headed for free agency.
Heston Kjerstad has mostly been hurt and hasn’t produced when available.
Even with all that movement, Baltimore is not positioned like a team about to start over from scratch. The front office has already made major commitments to Pete Alonso, Shane Baz, Bradish and Basallo, and the books reflect it. The club has $86.375MM committed for 2027 and $380.125MM in total future commitments.
That leaves the Orioles in a tricky middle ground. They sold at the deadline, but this does not look like the start of a full rebuild. If the goal is to get back into contention in 2027, there are a lot of internal bets that have to hit.
The guaranteed money already on the board is substantial. Alonso is attached for $124MM through 2030.
Bradish has $90MM through 2031. Baz is signed for $63MM through 2030.
Basallo’s deal runs for $61MM through 2033 and includes the buyout of a 2034 club option. Tyler O’Neill is in the fold through 2027 at $16.5MM.
Ryan Helsley has a $14MM player option for 2027, and Yennier Cano is signed for $7.5MM through 2028 with a 2029 club option.
There are also several option calls coming up. Zach Eflin has a $25MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout.
Luis Robert Jr. carries a $20MM club option with a $2MM buyout. Mountcastle has a $7.5MM club option with no buyout.
Dietrich Enns is attached to a $3.5MM club option with a $125K buyout. Helsley’s player option also sits on the list.
The arbitration group is headed by Henderson at a projected $14.1MM, with Colton Cowser at $2.2MM, Félix Bautista at $2.4MM, Jordan Westburg at $1.5MM, Albert Suárez at $1.1MM, Codi Heuer at $1.1MM and Leody Taveras at $3.7MM. The non-tender candidates are Taveras, Heuer and Suárez.
That’s the challenge in Baltimore now: plenty of money already committed, plenty of names still on the roster, and not nearly enough certainty about who can actually drive the next good Orioles team.
In Other News...
Shane Baz Gave The Orioles More Than His Record Suggests
Shane Bazs first season in Baltimore didnt show up kindly in the win-loss column, but the Orioles had plenty of reasons to view it differently. After acquiring him from the Rays before the 2026 season in a trade that cost multiple prospects and then locking him in with a five-year extension, the club asked for stability at the front of the rotation. Baz delivered volume, taking the ball 31 times and piling up 180 innings while continuing to build back toward his pre-surgery form.
The record, of course, was rough at 6-15, and the 4.11 ERA will never tell the whole story on its own. Baltimore gave him poor run support in too many of those starts, and the stronger FIP suggested the right-hander was better than the raw results implied. More important for the Orioles, Baz looked like a pitcher who had moved further along in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, leaving him positioned as a significant part of what they want the rotation to become next. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Rotation Questions Just Got Bigger With Cade Povich
Cade Povichs bid to factor into the Orioles 2027 rotation took another hit this week, though the club still expects the left-hander to be back in time for Spring Training. Povich underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow after a 2026 season that already included a stint on the injured list for elbow inflammation, a reminder of how quickly a promising arm can run into trouble when a young pitcher is trying to carve out a bigger role.
For Baltimore, the timing matters because the rotation picture could look very different by next season, especially if some arms reach free agency. Povich had been on the radar as a candidate for a starting job, but his late-season struggles and this latest setback only add more uncertainty to a group that could use stability, health and a few clear answers heading into 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Big Question About A Bold Left Field Fix
The Orioles search for a cleaner answer in left field has already started to shape the conversation around their offseason, and Seiya Suzuki sits near the center of it. A right-handed hitter with a polished bat and enough defensive ability to handle the outfield, Suzuki checks a lot of the boxes Baltimore has been weighing as it looks for a more dependable fit in a part of the roster that has invited debate.
Still, any pursuit would have to account for more than just what Suzuki brings on the field. The Orioles have to consider how their ballpark can influence a players value, while the front office also has to weigh the broader market and what a move like this could mean beyond Baltimore. Suzukis appeal in Japan only adds another layer to a decision that is as much about strategy and fit as it is about adding another bat. [Read more 🡒]