Non-tender candidates: Taveras, Heuer, Su\u00e1rez<\/p>\n
Free Agents<\/p>\n
The Orioles underwent a true tank job a few years ago. This was before the draft lottery, when a team could guarantee itself consecutive strong picks if they shamelessly committed to putting an atrocious product on the field. The Orioles did just that. They lost at least 108 games in each full season from 2018 to 2021. The hope with such a strategy is that all that losing can allow a team to stockpile enough young talent to slingshot them to future success.<\/p>\n
It is surely not a coincidence that Mike Elias, who has been running the Baltimore front office since 2018, was previously with the Astros. Houston deployed this strategy very well. They lost at least 106 games from 2011 to 2013. They built up the farm, eventually put together a good major league team and have been consistently competitive from 2015 to the present.<\/p>\n
Elias tried to bring that script to Baltimore and it appeared to be working not so long ago. The Orioles won 101 games in 2023 with a core consisting of Adley Rutschman<\/a>, Gunnar Henderson<\/a>, Jordan Westburg<\/a>, Kyle Bradish<\/a>, Grayson Rodriguez<\/a>, Colton Cowser<\/a>, Joey Ortiz<\/a>, DL Hall<\/a>, Kyle Stowers<\/a>, Heston Kjerstad<\/a> and others. Prospects Jackson Holliday<\/a>, Samuel Basallo<\/a> and Connor Norby<\/a> were looming in the minors. The Angelos family was in the process of selling the team to David Rubenstein. An optimist could have seen the foundation for a dynasty in place.<\/p>\n Things have been crumbling since then. The 2023 club was quickly swept out of the ALDS by the Rangers. The 2024 team regressed to 91 wins. That was enough for a Wild Card spot but the O\u2019s were again swept out of the postseason, this time by the Royals. Baltimore has slid even farther lately, finishing below .500 in both 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n Where are they now? Rutschman was traded to the division-rival Red Sox at the deadline. Basallo inherited the catcher-of-the-future mantle but hasn\u2019t done much with it yet. Rodriguez was traded last winter for Taylor Ward<\/a>, who was himself traded at the deadline. Hall and Ortiz were traded for Corbin Burnes<\/a>, who left after one year. Stowers and Norby were traded for Trevor Rogers<\/a>, who is now slated for free agency. Henderson has been more good than great lately. Westburg has been held back by injuries, missing the entire 2026 season. Bradish is fine but not too exciting. Cowser is a serviceable but flawed center fielder. Holliday is too young to be completely written off but hasn\u2019t yet clicked in the majors. Kjerstad has mostly been injured and hasn\u2019t performed when on the field.<\/p>\n Add it all up and the Orioles are in a tough spot. Elias can\u2019t really justify a total teardown. There\u2019s too much theoretical talent in place and the club has made notable financial commitments to Pete Alonso<\/a>, Shane Baz<\/a>, Bradish and Basallo. But just about every spot on the roster looks questionable or underwhelming. To be good again in 2027, they need a lot of things to go right internally, or a huge shake-up, or perhaps some combination.<\/p>\n
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