Maybe the most disappointing 2025 team, Baltimore went from AL East contenders, to a division-worst 75-87 in the blink of an eye. The Orioles are one of many teams in search of a new manager this offseason, and POBO Mike Elias has stated that he is also seeking a General Manager to serve under him for the upcoming season as well. Fresh faces should be the theme of the year.

A Bright Spot
SP Trevor Rogers was easily the biggest takeaway from the 2025 campaign, posting career numbers across the board in 18 starts. He’s entering the final year of arbitration in 2026. A logjam at 1B (Samuel Basallo, Ryan Mountcastle, Coby Mayo) could lead to an early winter trade for the O’s, jumpstarting what should be a busy offseason.

A Big Concern
Offseason spending. Baltimore’s new owner has dangled the carrot in front of our faces a few times now, but the depth and overall logic to the roster has been a serious concern. The Orioles need to aggressively subtract, aggressively add, and where possible - aggressively extend this winter, or risk losing a fanbase that just went through the ringer for an entire year.

Related Links
2026 Orioles Financials
MLB Offseason Guides

Pending Free Agents

Eflin fell off of a cliff in 2025, and has been dealing with back issues for the better part of 6 seasons now. Both he and Sugano should be allowed to walk this winter in favor of late-rotation upgrades.

PLAYER MARKET VALUE
Zach Eflin (SP, 31) $16M
Tomoyuki Sugano (SP, 36) $6M
Gary Sánchez (DH/C, 32) $4M

Option Decisions

O’Neill dealt with 3 stints on the IL this past season, putting to rest the idea of him punting on the remaining 2 years of his contract. Mateo dealt with a hamstring issue of his own, and with no buyout attached to his option, is likely to be moved on from at least initially speaking.

PLAYER OPTION SALARY
Tyler O'Neill (OF, 30) 2 yr, $33M opt-out
Jorge Mateo (SS, 31) $5.5M club option

Arbitration-Eligibility

Much of the young core is now developing into expensive arbitration statuses, making things a little more complicated for a front office that has struggled to properly replenish the roster on an annual basis. A trade for Mountcastle seems likely here, while Wells and or Kremer could also be floated as Baltimore seeks out a more stable bullpen.

PLAYER PROJ. ARB SALARY
Adley Rutschman (C, 28) $6.75M
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, 29) $6.5M
Trevor Rogers (SP, 28) $6M
Gunnar Henderson (SS, 25) $5.75M
Dean Kremer (SP, 30) $5.25M
Keegan Akin (RP, 31) $3M
Tyler Wells (SP, 31) $2.75M
Kyle Bradish (SP, 29) $2.75M
Félix Bautista (RP, 31) $2.25M
Yennier Cano (RP, 32) $1.75M
Dylan Carlson (OF, 27) $1.75M
Alex Jackson (C, 30) $1.75M
Albert Suarez (RP, 36) $950k
Jose Castillo (RP, 30) $820k

Guaranteed Salary

The O’s did well to lock in one of their young core players to an 8 year, $67M extension near the end of the regular season. Unfortunately Basallo represents the only guaranteed salary on the books right now.

PLAYER CBT SALARY
Samuel Basallo (1B/C, 21) $8.375M

Team Tax Projections

The Orioles project toward a $102M CBT payroll right now, affording them around $141M of space this winter. A few early trades and a few big fish free agent signings could lead to a quick turnaround in the standings.

Spotrac's 2026 MLB Offseason Previews