The Orioles didn’t leave fans guessing last summer whether they were buying or selling. The manager was fired in the middle of May. Reliever Bryan Baker was traded on July 10, signaling that the club was open for business. Relievers Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, outfielders Ramón Laureano and Cedric Mullins, starter Charlie Morton and infielder Ramón Urías followed him out the door.

There wasn’t much left to do except count down the days until the season was over and stand guard over the “prospect watch.”

The order wasn’t known, but the Orioles had plans to promote outfielder Dylan Beavers and catcher Samuel Basallo. Both players were on the clock and able to provide a distraction from a last-place finish.

Beavers arrived on Aug. 16 and Basallo got the call a day later. Media celebrated a chance to write about something other than games and uncertain futures in the organization.

So what about 2026?

The Orioles haven’t waved the white flag. They could make trades that bring major leaguers to the roster. But they don’t have top prospects who might join the team later this summer.

MLB Pipeline ranks 20-year-old outfielder Nate George No. 1 and he hasn’t played for High-A Frederick since May 3 due to an undisclosed illness. Being in perfect health still wouldn’t get him to Baltimore this year.

“He happened to have a medical condition that’s nothing to do with athletics or baseball,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said on June 27. “We’re still totally confident that he’s gonna be fine, but this is the type of thing that takes a long time to come back out of and play professional sports from, so it’s gonna be a while. I don’t have much more beyond that, but he’s in good shape.”

The rest of the top 10 consists of first baseman/outfielder Ike Irish, left-handers Joseph Dzierwa and Luis De León, right-hander Trey Gibson, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, right-hander Esteban Mejia, infielder Aron Estrada, outfielder Enrique Bradfield and left-hander Boston Bateman. Gibson’s already made eight appearances with the Orioles this season and can’t create the same buzz as Beavers and Basallo. That speaks more to them than him.

Bradfield also is playing for Triple-A Norfolk, but the former first-rounder isn’t a top 100 prospect in baseball and isn’t beating down the door. He’s batting .256/.324/.346 in 39 games with the Tides.

The Orioles don’t have a big hole to fill in the outfield, and he might need an injury or an expanded roster to have a shot at a promotion.

George (No. 57), Irish (No. 80) and Dzierwa (No. 100) are the only Orioles in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 and they aren’t going to make the jump. Irish and Dzierwa were chosen to the All-Star Futures Game, but they’re in Frederick and Double-A Chesapeake, respectively. Dzierwa began the year with the Keys and he could get another bump to Norfolk, but four levels is highly unlikely.

The “prospect watch” can be adjusted. We’ll call it the 2026 version, which has nothing to do with re-recordings and a dispute over original master recordings of a back catalogue, for all of you Swifties.

Bradfield was the 17th-overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Vanderbilt. His speed and defense are elite, but he’s battled health issues and hasn’t hit consistently. He missed seven weeks this year with a left hand injury.

There’s interest in seeing him play at Camden Yards. In having another first-rounder reach the majors since Elias joined the front office, following Adley Rutschman, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday.

And this leads us to Kjerstad, who is responsible for the tweaking of the “prospect watch.”

Kjerstad has graduated from that status and he’s appeared in 106 games over parts of three seasons. But this is the second-overall pick in 2020 who turns 28 in February and has overcome myocarditis diagnosed after the draft, a concussion and recurring symptoms in 2024 and whatever medical issue forced the Orioles to shut him down at Norfolk last summer. His last major league at-bat was June 6, 2025 in Sacramento. His last at-bat in Baltimore was five days earlier.

The weekend begins with Kjerstad batting .295/.323/.443 with 11 doubles and five home runs in 45 games with Norfolk. He’s hitting .308 with an .832 OPS against right-handers.

Kjerstad is 11-for-28 with two doubles and two homers this month. In past seasons he might have already gotten back to the majors, but the Orioles are carrying left-handed hitters Beavers and Cowser and switch-hitter Leody Taveras on the roster. Right-handed hitting Taylor Ward is getting most of the starts in left field. And Samuel Basallo was the designated hitter in 27 games before the break to lead the club.

The Orioles could keep Kjerstad in the minors for depth and maybe recall him later. They could check whether he’s drawing interest from other teams. His stock plummeted but he’s hitting, similar to his early days in camp before he slumped.

He’s still an intriguing figure.

He’s still able to grab our attention if we need to be pulled away from the game results.