Albert Suárez spent 2026 doing the kind of work that rarely shows up in highlight reels, even though it mattered every time Baltimore needed it. The 36-year-old right-hander gave the Orioles innings, flexibility and, most of all, survival in games that were already slipping away. That he kept showing up for the club at all was almost part of the story too, because the Orioles cycled through him again and again over the course of the season.
Suárez was designated for assignment five times by Baltimore this year, yet he still managed to appear in every month of the Orioles’ season. He opened the year in Norfolk, came back to the majors on April 1st and logged five multi-inning outings in April before his first DFA on April 26th. After a brief stint as a free agent, he signed a minor league deal on April 30th and was back with the big club the next day.
That pattern kept repeating. On May 1st, Suárez threw 2.2 innings in a 7-2 loss to the Yankees, then headed back to Norfolk for the next three weeks. His 16.2 innings for the Tides this season were his most in the minors since 2018.
Baltimore brought him back again on May 19th, used him once on May 24th, and designated him for assignment again. He returned to the Orioles on May 29th and stayed for a longer stretch this time. From May 30th through August 20th, Suárez made 17 appearances, covering 34.1 innings with a 4.72 ERA, a .263 BAA and 28 strikeouts.
The value was never flashy. It was in the innings he soaked up when the game was already tilted the wrong way.
From June 3rd through August 6th, Suárez made 12 appearances for Baltimore, entering as early as the fourth inning and as late as the eighth. He went more than one inning in 11 of those 12 outings.
The Orioles lost all 12 games, but Suárez didn’t take the loss in any of them. On the season, Baltimore went 6-22 in games he pitched, while Suárez himself went 3-0.
His last trip between Baltimore and Norfolk came at the end of the year. The Orioles DFA’d him for the fifth and final time on September 6th, then resigned him to a minor league deal with the Tides on September 12th.
He was recalled once more on September 24th and turned in his best outing of the season, firing four scoreless innings in Baltimore’s 10-2 win over the Yankees. It also closed the Orioles’ 2026 season on a high note.
What comes next is unclear. A possible lockout in 2027 could have a bigger impact on Suárez than most players, especially if it wipes out all or most of his age-37 season. In that case, retirement after a productive three-year run in Baltimore would not be hard to imagine.
If there is a 2027 season, though, Suárez still offers something useful. With Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge possibly leaving as free agents, his ability to absorb multiple innings would still fit in an Orioles bullpen. He is no longer in the rotation conversation - all 28 of his appearances in 2026 came out of the bullpen - but a reliever who can bridge innings is still a useful piece.
Even so, Suárez also looks like the kind of player a better Orioles team eventually phases out. He’s the pitching equivalent of Jorge Mateo: one strong season in Baltimore that bought him more time, but not the kind of upside this roster needs to keep climbing.
Nobody in Birdland would mind if he came back in 2027. Nobody minded the constant DFA-and-return cycle in 2026, either.
The real hope is that Baltimore builds a pitching staff that no longer needs Albert Suárez to be the guy who just keeps the game moving.
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