The Orioles tendered first baseman Ryan Mountcastle a contract for the 2026 season earlier today but chose to let pitcher Albert Suárez enter free agency.

Suárez was the only non-tender at today’s arbitration deadline.

Closer Félix Bautista, who underwent shoulder surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff, agreed to terms on a contract for 2026 that prevents a possible hearing. A source confirmed an MLB.com report that the deal is worth $2.25 million.

Bautista will miss the majority of the upcoming season, but the club is hopeful that he can contribute down the stretch.

Keegan Akin, Kyle Bradish, Yennier Cano, Gunnar Henderson, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers, Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward and Tyler Wells were tendered contracts, along with all pre-arbitration players on the 40-man roster.

The Orioles had a contract decision to make on catcher Alex Jackson. They did it this morning.

It’s passed along to the Minnesota Twins.

Jackson was traded today for minor league infielder Payton Eeles, reducing the number of players on the 40-man roster to 39.

Eeles, who turned 26 earlier this month, signed with the Twins as an undrafted free agent after playing at Coastal Carolina – where he was teammates with Orioles 2025 first-round draft pick Caden Bodine – and in the independent American Association in 2023.

Over 210 minor league games, Eeles has batted .285/.410/.417 with 28 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs and 94 RBIs and has stolen 68 bases in 86 attempts. He’s also walked 120 times and struck out 141.

The Orioles have reached the latest important date on the offseason calendar, and this one is worth circling twice.

Teams must decide tonight whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. The list grew to 13 with the Taylor Ward trade.

Players with three-to-six years of service time must go through the process. The sides exchange figures if an agreement isn’t reached, and a three-person panel chooses a winner in hearings that run between late January and early February.

The Orioles prefer the file-and-go approach, also known as the alliterative file-and-trial, but they make exceptions for contracts that include options and aren’t strictly for the upcoming season.

The offseason began with 14 eligible Orioles, but the Mets claimed reliever José Castillo on waivers earlier this month and outfielder Dylan Carlson chose free agency after clearing waivers.

The Orioles are getting closer to completing their coaching staff for the 2026 season.

According to a source, Hank Conger has been hired as bullpen coach under new manager Craig Albernaz.

Conger most recently was Minnesota’s assistant bench coach before finding out earlier this month that he wouldn’t be retained under new manager Derek Shelton. He joined the Twins in 2022 as first base and catching coach.

More youth is added to the staff with the 37-year-old Conger, a former first round draft pick of the Angels who played in the majors for seven seasons. He also gives the Orioles’ another hire with a catching background.

Conger spent five seasons with the Angels and played for the Astros in 2015 and Rays in 2016. Albernaz managed Tampa Bay’s instructional league team that year. Mike Elias was Houston’s director of amateur scouting in ’15.

In case anyone thought the offseason would be a bore, the Orioles stunned the industry with Tuesday night’s Grayson Rodriguez trade – a late one on the East Coast. They broke their own news, which is a rarity in this industry. It froze us like a 12-6 curveball.

And they’re just getting started.

Let’s sift through some leftover thoughts on the one-for-one deal that brings slugging outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore.

* Some of the reviews from national media aren’t favorable for the Orioles based on Rodriguez’s potential and controllability. He can’t become a free agent until after the 2029 season. He hasn’t even reached arbitration eligibility. Ward, meanwhile, can test the market after 2026.

The Orioles are living in the moment.

They didn't get me this time.

The Orioles announce a late trade or signing every offseason that catches me napping. Or sleeping, to be exact.

I still haven't gotten over the James McCann deal in December 2022. I woke up to multiple missed calls and texts.

Anyway, they tried to sneak Taylor Ward past me last night and it didn't work. I was awake - barely. And this was a real shocker because the Orioles dealt Grayson Rodriguez in a one-for-one. 

They couldn't wait any longer for Rodriguez to reach his vast potential. The injuries kept piling up, making him the right-handed version of DL Hall, chosen in the first round one year earlier. Rodriguez hasn't pitched since July 31, 2024. Lat/teres, elbow, triceps, shoulder. The hits just kept coming.

The Orioles weren’t done making 40-man roster moves early this evening.

In a surprising piece of news, the Orioles have traded pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. They get the power bat that fits in the most logical space for it. They surrender the future ace who never got to that level.

The teams made the announcement late tonight.

Ward turns 32 next month and is a rental with free agency coming after the 2026 season. The Angels made him the 26^th overall selection in the 2015 draft out of Fresno State and he’s hit .247/.327/.439 in 704 games in eight seasons. He’s appeared in 156 and 157 games over the last two with 663 plate appearances in both seasons.

The Dayton, Ohio native is coming off a career year with 31 doubles, 36 home runs, 103 RBIs, 75 walks and 86 runs scored. He also posted a .228 average that’s his lowest over a full season.

The Orioles are protecting right-hander Cameron Foster and outfielder Reed Trimble in the Rule 5 Draft.

Foster and Trimble had their contracts selected and were placed on the 40-man roster earlier today. Outfielder Pedro León and infielder Luis Vázquez were designated for assignment to create room.

Foster, 26, and right-hander Wellington Aracena were acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline for left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. Foster made 13 relief appearances with Triple-A Norfolk and posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.375 WHIP in 16 innings, with eight walks and 23 strikeouts. He has a 3.75 ERA in 79 minor league games and 215 strikeouts over 199 1/3 innings.

Trimble, 25, was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi. He’s a career .251/.344/.420 hitter in five minor league seasons and has stolen 61 bases without being caught.

Trimble batted .259/.319/.435 this year in 30 games with Norfolk and .257/.352/.503 in 53 games with Double­-A Chesapeake. He plays all three outfield positions.

The Orioles must set their 40-man roster later today by protecting the Rule 5 eligible players they don’t want exposed in the draft.

Cross off another date on baseball’s fall and winter calendar. Up next is Friday night’s non-tender deadline.

The mailbag doesn’t need to be protected, though many outlets would love to claim it.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved early 2009 original. That's when it debuted, upon further review. A four-star review. 

Also, my mailbag will never be exposed and your mailbag is left outside in the rain and cold.

Former Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis is among the 12 new candidates for baseball’s Hall of Fame.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot also includes 15 holdovers. Results will be announced live on Jan. 20 on MLB Network.

Players must receive 75 percent of the votes for induction in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Markakis was a first-round pick in the 2003 draft who played nine seasons with the Orioles and won two Gold Gloves in right field. His last six seasons were spent with the Braves, where he won another Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger in 2018 and made his only All-Star team.

The Georgia native finished his career with a .288/.357/.423 slash line and 514 doubles, 22 triples, 189 home runs and 1,046 RBIs in 2,154 games. He registered a 33.7 bWAR.

If the Orioles hold onto their offseason plan as if it’s covered in stickum, they’re going to emphasis starting pitching, late-inning relief and an impact bat while constructing their roster for Opening Day.

I don’t believe there’s an actual order to it. The calls and meetings are taking place and any deal that can be completed, whether in free agency or a trade, will rank ahead of the others. Mike Elias isn’t putting any of these needs on a back burner.

The hiring of a general manager sits there.

I’ve got more questions swirling in my brain, and among them is which of these additions is most important to the club’s future success? That’s different than which comes first.

I’m not too chicken to egg you on.

A new week brings the next set of meetings in baseball, with owners gathering in New York on Tuesday.

Don’t expect David Rubenstein to swing any deals.

The Orioles’ last trade brought them reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs on Nov. 4 for cash considerations. What’s next?

I’ve already published a batch of questions, including how the Orioles are going to jam five starters in the rotation, who bats first, who’s in center field, whether Tyler O’Neill can extend his Opening Day home run streak, whether there are innings limits for some starters, what’s next for Albert Suárez, which starters could move to the bullpen, whether Trevor Rogers can maintain his level of excellence, which starter will lead the club in innings, and what’s next for Heston Kjerstad.

Here are two more.

Two more coaches are confirmed for manager Craig Albernaz’s staff.

The Orioles have hired Miguel Cairo as major league infield coach and Joe Singley as major league field coordinator and catching coach, according to sources.

Cairo, 51, most recently was Nationals' bench coach beginning in November 2023 and interim manager on July 7, 2025 after Dave Martinez’s firing. He played 17 seasons in the majors with nine teams, finishing in 2012 with the Reds.

Cairo has experience at every position except center field and catcher.

The Nationals interviewed Cairo for the managing job but chose Rays senior director of player development Blake Butera.

The Orioles made another depth move yesterday, signing reliever Richard Guasch to a minor league contract. He’s expected to receive an invitation to spring training.

Guasch, 27, posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.000 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 46 innings this year in 28 appearances with Double-A Erie. He also pitched in 13 games with an independent team in Mexico and allowed three earned runs with 25 strikeouts in 14 innings.

The Cuban right-hander has pitched in the Athletics, Nationals and Tigers system beginning in 2018, compiling a 4.02 ERA in 145 games and averaging 5.1 walks, 11.5 strikeouts and 0.6 home runs per nine innings. He’s never risen above Double-A.

The Nationals acquired Guasch, catcher Drew Millas and pitcher Seth Shuman from the Athletics on July 30, 2021 in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes, infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison and cash considerations. The Tigers purchased his contract earlier this year from the Mexican Baseball League.

Guasch’s fastball has touched 99 mph.

Judging from the opinions of outsiders in the industry, the Orioles will be the biggest spenders this winter, aim for one big strike and make a series of lesser moves, or spread out their money more evenly.

That should just about cover it.

Scouts, agents and others in the business agree on the shopping list and how, of course, the Orioles are buyers. An impact starting pitcher at near the top of the rotation should be the priority. The bullpen isn’t near complete, and not just because it’s missing a closer. The lineup needs a big bat. Leadership was lacking in 2025.

Otherwise, the perceptions about how the Orioles will operate are scattered and based too much on the past – whether previous payroll constraints or how a last-place finish in 2025 will motivate.

The qualifying offer won’t necessarily deter the Orioles from pursuing a free agent. And according to president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias, the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in December 2026 isn’t influencing how he conducts business.

The general manager meetings in Las Vegas are over, and Orioles president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias is flying back to Baltimore. He didn’t bring any new players but he’s gained some clarity on the trade and free agent markets.

The daily sessions have served their purpose.

Elias sat down with executives from other teams, agents and some players who showed up at the Cosmopolitan hotel.

“A lot of information gathering and a lot of meetings,” Elias said this afternoon.

“Overall it was really good. I can’t say anything happened, but this is how the offseason starts to develop usually is the conversations that initiate at the GM meetings.”

Trevor Rogers received some well-deserved recognition last night with the unveiling of the American League Cy Young ballots.

I didn’t think I’d be solely responsible for it.

Rogers tied the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen for ninth place, with both pitchers receiving a fifth-place vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is a back-to-back winner, followed by the Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet, the Astros’ Hunter Brown, the Yankees’ Max Fried and the Mariners’ Bryan Woo. Skubal received 26 first-place votes and Crochet the other four.

I put Skubal first, Crochet second, Brown third and Fried fourth, keeping me in line with the majority. The last spot came down to Rogers or Woo. I didn’t want to be viewed as a homer if I selected Rogers or a jerk if omitting him because I cover the team.

The Orioles’ coaching staff for the 2026 season has three confirmed outside hires and three likely holdovers.

A source confirmed tonight that Buck Britton, Drew French and Ryan Klimek are expected to remain with the Orioles.

Britton finished as third base coach and infield instructor after Tony Mansolino was named interim manager. French completed his second season as pitching coach. Klimek has served as pitching strategy coach since 2023.

Another source said earlier today that Britton might remain at third base but details had to be worked out and nothing was official. The team definitely had shown interest in retaining him.

Britton was promoted from Triple-A manager to major league coach prior to the 2025 season, but Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was fired on May 17, which led to a reshuffling of the staff.

New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is dipping into his past again with the hiring of Donnie Ecker as bench coach, which a source confirmed this afternoon.

Ecker, 39, served as Rangers' bench coach and offensive coordinator from 2022-24. They removed his bench coach duties prior to the 2025 season and fired him on May 4.

The shakeup included the hiring of former All-Star second baseman Bret Boone as hitting coach.

Ecker was on the Rangers’ staff when they swept the Orioles in the 2023 Division Series and won the World Series.

The Giants hired Ecker as one of their two major league hitting coaches prior to the 2020 season, which is where his career intersected with Albernaz, the team’s bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23.

The general manager meetings in Las Vegas probably won’t produce any trades for the Orioles. They tend to function more as a way to lay the groundwork for future discussions at the Winter Meetings, which are held next month in Orlando.

Of course, there are exceptions throughout the league. Not everyone comes home empty-handed.  

The Padres traded future Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox on Nov. 13, 2015. A day earlier, shortstop Andrelton Simmons went from the Braves to the Angels in exchange for shortstop Erick Aybar and pitcher Sean Newcomb.

The Twins traded future Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks to the Yankees at those same meetings, among the busiest in recent memory.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge came back to the Orioles in a Nov. 4 deal with the Cubs for cash considerations, the club’s only trade this month. President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias has done a lot more claiming and selecting than trading in November since his hiring in 2018.