The Orioles may not be the loudest team in the room at the GM Meetings, but this week in Las Vegas could still bring a few clues about how they plan to attack the offseason. With the lockout looming and the market expected to get jumpy, Baltimore has a chance to explore trade ideas that could reshape the roster - for better or worse.
One path that makes sense is a deal for Mariners right-hander George Kirby. Seattle may be looking to add offense by moving pitching, and Baltimore has the kind of pieces that could make that conversation real.
The Orioles have a surplus of infield talent, with Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Blaze Alexander all in the mix, plus a crop of upper-minors arms close to the majors. They could also dangle outfielders like Colton Cowser or Dylan Beavers if that’s what it takes to meet Seattle’s needs.
Kirby’s contract situation adds to the appeal. Logan Gilbert and the Mariners are reportedly not expected to reach an extension before he reaches free agency after the 2027 season, and one-year rental trades may be hard to come by before the lockout.
Kirby, by contrast, comes with an extra year of team control and an arbitration salary estimate of $9.8 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors. That kind of cost control matters.
The numbers from last season weren’t pretty - Kirby posted a career-low 20% strikeout rate and a career-high 4.33 ERA - but there’s still a case for believing a change of scenery could help. The former Elon standout threw seven different pitches in 2026, per Baseball Savant, and he’s known for constantly tinkering with his arsenal. Baltimore has had some success with pitchers like that, and the Orioles may feel they can help him rediscover the version of himself they saw in 2023 and 2024.
If the Orioles want to swing bigger, the most dramatic move would be dealing Jackson Holliday. Moving the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft just days before his 23rd birthday would send a clear message.
Holliday has not yet delivered at the big-league level, but he’s still young enough to develop into a solid player. The question is whether Baltimore wants to keep waiting.
Health complicates the picture. Holliday missed all of spring training after breaking his hamate shortly before camp opened, then his minor league rehab was paused because of pain and discomfort from the surgery. His 2026 season ended with wrist surgery, and the source material makes clear there’s little reason to believe he was healthy at any point this year.
Even so, he could be used to land help in the outfield or rotation. A move like that would also clear up the infield crowding, allowing Jordan Westburg to slide to second base while third base is handled by some combination of Mayo, Alexander, and Encarnacion-Strand. It wouldn’t be shocking if Holliday is moved, but it would still qualify as a bold step for a front office that has leaned heavily on homegrown talent.
The move the Orioles should avoid is a trade for Ketel Marte. Second base is a real issue, and if Baltimore does decide to move Holliday or another infielder, the temptation to chase a name like Marte will be there. It shouldn’t be.
Marte, now 33, had his worst offensive season since 2022, batting .249 with a 103 wRC+ over 141 games for the Diamondbacks. There are reasons to think he could bounce back - his .280 expected batting average suggests last season may not have fully reflected his true level, and his 8% walk rate could rise back toward the 10-11% range he’s shown before - but the fit gets messy fast.
The contract is part of the problem. Spotrac has Marte making north of $13 million in 2027, which could be fine if he rebounds, but he’s also set to make $20 million-plus in each of the next three seasons after that. That’s a heavy commitment for a player entering his mid-30s.
If Baltimore is serious about using Holliday elsewhere or reshuffling the infield, second base still doesn’t need to become a long-term headache. Marte would bring exactly that.
In Other News...
Pete Alonso Gave The Orioles Exactly What They Needed Except This
Pete Alonsos first season in Baltimore gave the Orioles plenty of the production they hoped for when they brought him in, and the recognition followed quickly. He was named to the 2026 All-MLB First Team for the second time, a nod that came after he led the American League in home runs and RBIs and landed among the finalists for the leagues Silver Slugger Award.
For the Orioles, it was the kind of star turn that justified the move and then some, especially after Alonso also picked up Baltimores Most Valuable Oriole Award. The one thing that still hangs over the season, though, is the part every contender eventually has to answer: how much of that individual success can be turned into something bigger when the spotlight gets brightest? [Read more 🡒]
Cowser Just Got National Recognition For A Huge Orioles Save
A late-inning defensive gem from Cedric Mullins Cowser ended up getting national attention at the MLB Awards, where he was honored with the Capital One Premier Play of the Year award for a catch that helped preserve an Orioles win over the Rockies. The play came in the ninth inning with Baltimore ahead, and it turned a possible walk-off home run into a highlight-reel out that quickly became one of the seasons signature moments.
Cowsers recognition is a reminder that the Orioles rise has not been about offense alone, because plays like that can swing a game just as much as a big hit. David Wright presented the award, and Cowser described the moment as a critical, skillful one, which fits the way Baltimore has come to value every inch of the game when the stakes are highest. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Offseason May Hinge On Whether Mike Elias Changes Course
The Orioles head into the offseason with a familiar priority and a new layer of urgency: the rotation needs help, and the front office may not want to wait around if there is a chance the sport gets pushed toward a lockout. Under Mike Elias, Baltimore has generally shied away from the top end of the pitching market, preferring shorter-term, lower-risk moves, but the clubs current position makes the need harder to ignore. A deeper staff would give the Orioles more stability as they try to keep pace in the AL East and avoid leaning too heavily on uncertainty on the mound.
Names such as Trevor Rogers, Sonny Gray and Michael King fit the kind of conversation Baltimore has to have this winter, even if each comes with a different price and level of commitment. Rogers offers upside, Gray brings a proven track record, and King would be another arm with recent success who could change the look of the rotation quickly. The question hanging over the Orioles is not whether they need pitching, but whether Elias is willing to stretch beyond his usual comfort zone to get it before the market and the calendar tighten further. [Read more 🡒]