Any smart executive has a fallback option, and for Orioles president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias, it’s about his starting rotation and whether he can land an ace.

Would he really pivot to a soon-to-be 43-year-old future Hall of Famer?

Would a section of the fan base lose its collective minds?

The Athletic reported Friday that Elias is expressing interest in Justin Verlander, though it came with the caveat that a deal “is not close.” That part wasn’t in the headline but it appeared in the third paragraph.

Unanswered is the exact level of this interest and whether it’s tire kicking or talks that could advance to a much more serious stage.

For years, Orioles fans have entered each new season anticipating the debut of one of the game’s top prospects. Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday and, most recently, Samuel Basallo, had the promise of rapidly changing the franchise upon their arrival. 

Baltimore’s farm got a big upgrade last summer, both at the trade deadline and through the draft. Even still, barring a prospect’s rapid ascent, the Orioles will be without a debut of a top-75 prospect in the game, according to MLB Pipeline, for the first time since 2021. 

Don’t mistake that fact for the O’s not getting an impact from the farm, though. 

On this week’s edition of “The Bird’s Nest,” which you can watch here, Annie Klaff and I discussed some of the prospects that could debut this season. 

Enrique Bradfield Jr. 

As the vast majority of the Nationals’ front office and coaching staffs were overhauled this fall and winter, one corner of the organization remained intact.

The club’s international scouting department is still under previous management, namely Victor Rodriguez, who was hired in 2023 and for the last two years has been director international operations. Rodriguez was hired by Mike Rizzo, but he continues to serve in the same role under Paul Toboni.

What helped his cause? The fact his first job was with the Red Sox, who employed both Toboni and Justin Horowitz. And the fact his next job was with the Rays, who employed Anirudh Kilambi. Those three men now hold some of the top titles in the Nats front office, with Rodriguez a welcome face running one of baseball operations’ most important departments.

“It’s always good to come and see somebody that you’ve worked with in the past, because that learning curve and that trust gets expedited a little bit better,” Rodriguez said. “It’s really exciting for me to be able to work alongside all these guys again.”

Rodriguez spoke with reporters Thursday, when Major League Baseball’s international signing period officially opened. The Nationals added 15 new players from three Latin American countries, a group headlined by two highly ranked Dominican outfielders: Samil Serrano and Isaias Suarez.

Every team passed on the opportunity to claim outfielder Jhonkensy Noel on waivers, which enabled the Orioles to outright him to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. A relatively small roster move that kept “Big Christmas” in the organization.

Is it a big deal?

How he’d fit on an Opening Day roster isn’t apparent. It’s downright confusing.

A corner outfielder/first baseman with a minus-1.4 bWAR last season doesn’t necessarily fill a need. It’s more about the intrigue that comes from his raw power and the organizational perception that he can be fixed after slashing .193/.242/.401 in 136 games with the Guardians and striking out 115 times.

There’s a tremendous amount of trust in the hitting philosophies and instruction, and the Orioles added two new coaches in Dustin Lind and Brady North. We also can assume that new manager Craig Albernaz put in a good word after serving as Guardians bench coach for the past two seasons.

Inking catcher Samuel Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension in August, only five days after his major league debut, highlighted the strides made by the Orioles in an international market that used to keep its doors closed to them.

The shopping has continued today at the start of the international signing period, and the Orioles handed out seven-figure bonuses to four players for the first time.

Shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo of the Dominican Republic earned the largest bonus in team history at $2.3 million, according to a source, which narrowly beats out the $2.297,500 given to shortstop Luis Almeyda in 2023.

Baseball America ranked Acevedo 11th on its bonus board and MLB Pipeline ranked him 14^th on its top 50 prospects list.

The Orioles also used their $8,034,900 bonus pool money on outfielder Ariel Roque at $1.7 million, outfielder Pedro Gomez at $1.25 million and catcher/outfielder Gabriel Rosario at $1.05 million. Baseball America was first to report the signings.

The Ed Smith Stadium Box Office and Team Store will be open for in-person sales beginning Tuesday, January 20, at 10 a.m. ET. The Box Office and Team Store will remain open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the end of the 2026 Spring Training season. Parking will be available in the East Lot.

The Orioles will kick off their 17^th season at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, February 20, when they take on the New York Yankees at 1:05 p.m. The 2026 Spring Training schedule features 17 home games, including 13 afternoon games, all beginning at 1:05 p.m., and four night games, each slated to begin at 6:05 p.m., including one of Major League Baseball’s Spring Breakout Games when Orioles prospects face off against Boston Red Sox prospects on Friday, March 20, at 6:05 p.m.

For a complete list of promotions and special events at Ed Smith Stadium visit Orioles.com/Spring.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Agreed to terms on a 2026 minor league contract with C Sam Huff.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• OF Jhonkensy Noel cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The international signing period starts today, one of the most significant dates on baseball’s offseason calendar.

It didn't used to be that way for the Orioles.

Baseball America reports that the Orioles have agreements with shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, who’s projected to receive approximately $2.3 million, outfielders Ariel Roque ($1.8 million) and Pedro Gomez ($1.2 million), and catcher/outfielder Gabriel Rosario ($1 million).

Acevedo, who turned 17 in November, could match or surpass the franchise record signing bonus of $2.3 million for shortstop Luis Almeyda in 2023.

Baseball America ranked Acevedo 11th on its bonus board and MLB Pipeline ranked him 14^th on its top 50 prospects list.

While there’s been plenty of discussion around here about the Nationals’ Opening Day roster and what holes still need to be filled between now and then, there’s been less discussion about some of the organization’s most intriguing young players who aren’t part of the immediate plan but certainly are part of the long term plan.

The Nats’ farm system has experienced some real ups and downs in recent years. What had been one of the sport’s worst systems was reinvigorated with the Juan Soto trade in 2022 and began showing up in the top-10 rankings of several major publications one year later.

The “graduations” of James Wood, Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile, Cade Cavalli and others, though, in the last year-plus have left the organization back towards the bottom of the pile. New 2026 preseason rankings haven’t been published yet, but Baseball America had the Nats at No. 21 last summer and MLB Pipeline had them at No. 23.

We know one of Paul Toboni’s primary goals as president of baseball operations is to build a consistent player development machine that pumps out quality big leaguers year in and year out. That takes time, but the cupboard he inherited isn’t entirely bare, either.

The Nationals have four top-100 prospects in the game, according to MLB Pipeline’s most recent rankings: Eli Willits (15), Harry Ford (42), Travis Sykora (49) and Jarlin Susana (87). The rest of the organization’s current top-10: Luis Perales, Luke Dickerson, Alex Clemmey, Landon Harmon, Seaver King and Ethan Petry.

Orioles unveil “Party at the Yard Fridays,” presented by Coors Light, and “Family Sundays," Tupac and Pete Alonso bobblehead giveaways, the return of fan-favorite Bark at Oriole Park nights and several new special ticket packages, and a $19 lower level ticket option for any game Monday-Thursday

The Orioles today announced that tickets for all 2026 regular season home games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and special ticket packages will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, January 14. Tickets can be purchased at Orioles.com/Tickets. The club also announced a handful of special ticket packages and group days, “Party at the Yard Fridays” presented by Coors Light, “Family Sundays,” as well as the addition of a TUPAC Bobblehead giveaway on Friday, May 8 vs. Athletics, a PETE ALONSO Bobblehead giveaway on Saturday, August 22 vs. Tampa Bay, and two fireworks nights on Friday, April 10, and Friday, May 29, both presented by SeatGeek. Additional ticket packages will be announced at a later date. A complete list of current promotions and special ticket packages, including some promotional item imagery and quantities, can be found online at Orioles.com/Promotions.

New this year, Reserved Birdland Members will receive Guaranteed Gate giveaways for all games in their plan. For information on purchasing a Birdland Membership, call 888-848-BIRD or visit Orioles.com/Memberships. Also, fans who subscribe to the free Orioles Insider email newsletter will receive an invitation to participate in an online pre-sale opportunity beginning Tuesday, January 13, at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can subscribe online at Orioles.com/Newsletter. Due to high demand, tickets for Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, when the Orioles host the Minnesota Twins at 3:05 p.m., are available exclusively to Birdland Members.

The Orioles are excited to debut Party at the Yard Fridays, presented by Coors Light, and Family Sundays, elevating weekend experiences at the ballpark for fans. For every Friday home game, $5 Coors Lights (12 oz) will be available at the Coors Light Roof Deck and in Legends Park for the first hour after gates open. Fans can also enjoy live music and unique photo opportunities in Legends Park prior to the game and see surprise celebrity Guest Splashers in the Bird Bath Splash Zone. To learn more, visit Orioles.com/PartyAtTheYard.

Family Sundays will feature fun, family-friendly pregame experiences, including kids-only player and coach autograph sessions, live music and dance parties in Legends Park, and mascot meet and greets. Kids will also have the chance to participate in pre- and in-game activities, such as serve as Guest Splashers and yell the ceremonial “play ball.” Kids Run the Bases, presented by Weis Markets, will return following each Sunday home game for children ages 4-12. For more information, visit Orioles.com/FamilySundays.

The Nationals announced today they will begin producing and broadcasting games directly through Major League Baseball this season, ending a 21-year relationship with MASN.

Nationals.tv, as it is being branded, will broadcast all locally televised games in 2026, available through cable and satellite providers in the region as well as through MLB’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform.

The arrangement mirrors those of six other franchises (Padres, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rockies, Twins, Guardians) who in recent years have left their regional sports networks and partnered directly with MLB to broadcast their games.

“Today’s announcement represents a new chapter for Washington Nationals baseball,” managing principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “We are excited to have already begun work with the talented team at MLB, and the collaboration is off to a strong start as we work together to elevate the viewing experience with world-class broadcasts across television and streaming.

“Partnering with MLB offers us several new opportunities that will greatly improve the on-air product, including technological enhancements, the ability to work more closely with our broadcasters, and create added opportunities for our valued corporate partners. We’re thrilled to be able to offer the kind of presentation that our dedicated fans across the entire Mid-Atlantic region deserve.”

Though most of the moves they’ve made to date haven’t warranted major headlines, the Nationals have made a good number of moves since season’s end 3 1/2 months ago.

Twelve players who ended the 2025 season on the club’s 40-man roster no longer reside there: Jorge Alfaro, Josh Bell, Zach Brzykcy, Paul DeJong, Jose A. Ferrer, Sauryn Lao, Trey Lipscomb, Ryan Loutos, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Eduardo Salazar, CJ Stubbs, Mason Thompson.

Which means 12 new players have since been added to the 40-man roster: Riley Cornelio, Harry Ford, Christian Franklin, Foster Griffin, Griff McGarry, Luis Perales, Paxton Schultz and Joey Wiemer, plus four guys who were reinstated from the 60-day injured list (Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Drew Millas, Trevor Williams).

That’s a healthy amount of turnover for an organization, though probably not unexpected considering the turnover that’s also occurred in the front office and coaching staff.

But it can be hard to keep up with all the transactions. So let’s take a moment this morning to run through the entire 40-man roster as currently constructed, understanding there can and will be more changes to come before pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in a mere four weeks.

We’re almost to the halfway point in January and top free agents Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez, Cody Bellinger, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen remain on the market.

The Orioles are linked to the starters. Nothing seems to have changed in that regard.

Their last piece of business was outrighting outfielder Will Robertson to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers. The situation with outfielder Jhonkensy Noel hasn’t been resolved after the Orioles designated him for assignment last Wednesday.

We know more about the promotional schedule and the upcoming Birdland Caravan. Otherwise, we continue to wait for the other big offseason shoe to drop.

Here’s another batch of potential questions for players confirmed for the Caravan that begins on Jan. 22.

The Nationals’ most notable participant in this year’s World Baseball Classic might just be one of the stars of one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs.

Harry Ford has officially been named to Great Britain’s roster for this spring’s international event, the second time the young catcher will represent the birthplace of his parents, the first time he’ll do so as member of the Nats organization and as a big leaguer.

Ford was born and raised outside Atlanta, but both of his parents were born in England, giving him dual citizenship. He has spent a good portion of this offseason with his father, who has returned to live in his home country.

The Brits made their WBC debut three years ago and became one of the tournament’s darlings after scoring an upset victory over Colombia before ultimately losing in group play to the United States and Mexico. And Ford, only 20 at the time and with no experience higher than the Mariners’ Single-A affiliate, was one of the breakout stars of the team, batting .308 with two homers, a double, four RBIs and a 1.246 OPS in four games.

He emerged from the experience with an even stronger desire to return and try to lift his adopted home country to new heights the next time around.

The gauntlet, more commonly known as the AL East, is unrelenting. 

Featuring three major-market teams and two others considered to be some of the most forward thinking in the game, the division is oft-considered the best in baseball. Stars are acquired and developed at a medal pace. 

As such, the Orioles have done their best to keep up with that torrid stride this offseason, signing one of the best hitters the game has to offer in Pete Alonso, and trading for another power threat in Taylor Ward. The rest of the AL East hasn’t fared as well. 

Among players with at least 100 games in Boston in 2025, Alex Bregman led the team in both batting average, at .273, and OPS, at .821. They’ll be without his services in 2026, as Bregman is reportedly heading to the north side of Chicago on a five-year deal.

Boston also won’t get 73 games out of Rafael Devers, who, ironically, was dealt to San Francisco due, in part, to Bregman’s presence at third. Now, the Sox are left with neither. Former top prospect Marcelo Mayer projects to slot in at third, while Boston will look to the newly-acquired Wilson Contreras to replace Bregman’s production in the middle of the lineup. 

Tickets for all regular-season games at Camden Yards and special ticket packages go on sale to the general public on Wednesday.

Just head over to Orioles.com/Tickets for more information and to make purchases.

The club also announced some additional promotions, including Tupac and Pete Alonso bobbleheads. Because you can’t think of one without the other.

Shakur lived in Baltimore from 1984–88 and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet.

The Orioles will distribute Tupac Bobbleheads to the first 15,000 fans prior to the Friday, May 8 game against the Athletics, and the Alonso Bobblehead to the first 15,000 fans prior to the Saturday, Aug. 22 game against the Rays.

The Nationals’ most glaring need as we reach the four-week mark before pitchers and catchers report to spring training? It’s easy to look at the vacuum currently at first base and declare that position as priority No. 1.

But let’s not sleep on the bullpen. Or, more accurately, let’s hope the Nats aren’t sleeping on the bullpen. Because there’s a whole lot of work that still needs to be done there.

A group that already was thin on experience when the 2025 season ended no longer has its most experienced arm. Burgeoning closer Jose A. Ferrer was traded to the Mariners last month to acquire potential long-term catching solution Harry Ford.

That leaves an awfully thin relief corps now headlined by young right-handers Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter, who collectively have accrued 1 year, 129 days of major league service time.

And it’s not like the guys behind them on the depth chart have been around long themselves: left-handers Konnor Pilkington (152 days) and PJ Poulin (55 days), right-handers Jackson Rutledge (1 year, 25 days), Orlando Ribalta (1 year, 13 days), Julian Fernandez (2 years, 42 days but only 10 MLB appearances) and the just-acquired Paxton Schultz (78 days).

In one month, Orioles president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias will greet the media on the first day of spring training in Sarasota and recite the list of injuries and other health updates that he’s asked to provide. There’s usually a surprise or two, like Trevor Rogers’ right knee subluxation last February. Infielder Jorge Mateo wasn’t expected to be ready for Opening Day while recovering from elbow-reconstructive surgery. Optimism ran much higher with closer Félix Bautista, though his build-up would come at a slower pace.

Mateo and Bautista convinced the Orioles that they didn’t need to go on the injured list. Mateo was more of a last-minute call.

The unexpected absences really hurt. Gunnar Henderson strained his right intercostal. Andrew Kittredge had a left knee debridement. Grayson Rodriguez lost velocity, experienced discomfort in his elbow, triceps and lat, and didn’t pitch. Chayce McDermott couldn’t compete in camp due to a right lat strain. And the sky kept falling.

The Orioles didn’t make it out of Toronto without losing reliever Albert Suárez to right shoulder inflammation and outfielder Colton Cowser to a fractured left thumb. A tone was set and it shattered eardrums.

Henderson returned on April 4 and Zach Eflin was sidelined five days later with a right lat strain. That’s how it worked in 2025. Gain one and lose one. Gain one and lose two.

Gunnar Henderson won’t need to worry about innings and at-bats with the Orioles this season. He’s the everyday shortstop as long as he’s healthy.

He also won’t have any concerns about his role with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, though regular duty isn’t as readily available.

Bobby Witt Jr. also is on the roster, but manager Mark DeRosa said at the Winter Meetings that Henderson is “gonna play.”

“We did it the last time,” DeRosa said. “We had Trea (Turner), we had Tim Anderson, we had Jeff McNeil. You’ve got Brice Turang at second. I know Gunnar won’t go over to second base, but there’s a way to make all these guys happy.”

Appearing as a call-in guest Thursday on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on WBAL Radio, Henderson said he was told that he’d play a game at short, a game at third, maybe serve as the designated hitter.