Outfielder Taylor Ward had no idea that the Orioles signed first baseman Pete Alonso until some friends alerted him through text messaging.
Ward wanted to believe it, but he needed more proof. The internet isn't batting 1.000.
“You just never know when you receive that information if it’s true or not, but I’m glad it is,” Ward said during a recent appearance on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on WBAL Radio.
“It’s just gonna be great having him, and it’s really cool to see him want to be here, too. I think that’s another big part of it. It’s just exciting.”
Ward came to the Orioles in a Nov. 19 trade that sent pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels. He was the right-handed power bat that the front office desired since the beginning of the offseason.
Alonso was the second one, with a much higher profile and at a much higher cost.
The five-time All-Star agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract earlier this month, giving the Orioles a pair of sluggers for an offense that produced a .235 average and .699 OPS last season and scored 677 runs to rank 24th in the majors. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg tied for the team lead in home runs with 17.
“I think it’ll be huge, definitely protecting Gunnar,” Ward said of Alonso’s impact. “I think he’s perfect for this lineup and what he brings to the table with the power and the veteran leadership, too. Having a guy like Pete and with these younger guys, I just think that it’ll really help them grow, help them mature and just become better baseball players.
“Having Pete around, I think it’s gonna be great, the atmosphere is gonna be great, and he’s gonna help us win a lot.”
Ward also said that he’s seeking 60-70 at-bats in spring training to get ready for the season. That’s the mark he tries to hit. Holliday led the Orioles with 48 last spring.
“I’m gonna be ready to go Day One, Game One. That’s how I’ve always done things,” Ward said.
“I believe I prepare well in the offseason to be able to hit the ground running when I show up. Of course, I’m gonna follow the team’s lead in whatever (Craig Albernaz) suggests and Mike (Elias) suggests, but I’m gonna be ready to go. And getting those at-bats under your belt just to work through things is huge.
“It’s nothing new at this point. Just gonna go in and continue to do what I’ve been doing and try to get better every day.”
Ward has stolen 24 bases in 35 attempts over eight major league seasons and would like to become more of a threat.
“That’s something I think about all the time, and it seems like I get to spring training wanting to steal more bags, wanting to be more aggressive, and for some reason something happens during the year and it either limits me from doing that or however it is," Ward said. "But that’s another thing going into spring training that I’m gonna be focused on is stealing more bases. It’s in there, I’ve done it in the past in the minor leagues, and I’ve just got to continue to work on it and trust it and build a confidence with it.
“I’m not sure who our baserunning coach is, but whoever that is, I’ll definitely get with him and try to sharpen my game even more. I think there’s a lot of room there to grow. So yeah, I’m gonna be working on it this offseason getting into spring training and hopefully continue that during the year.”
* Did you know that Westburg hit the longest home run for the Orioles in 2025?
Now you do.
Westburg drove a four-seam fastball from Aaron Bummer 461 feet in the third inning of a July 5 game in Atlanta. No Orioles player reached that distance since Ryan Mountcastle (472 feet) on Aug. 8, 2023.
Mountcastle accounted for the highest exit velocity last season at 116.7 mph in a March 30 game in Toronto. Henderson led in average exit velo at 92.1 mph, barrels with 38 and hard-hit balls with 218.
* The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported over the weekend that the Orioles are no longer pursuing Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera.
The Orioles were linked to Cabrera at the Winter Meetings, with the initial report coming from The Athletic. Jackson wrote that the Marlins are listening to offers for Cabrera, but the Orioles and Astros “are no longer involved.”
Jackson added that Miami doesn’t want to “sell short” on Cabrera, who posted a 3.53 ERA last season in 28 starts and is under team control through 2028. Cabrera registered a 2.95 ERA in 20 appearances between the beginning of May and end of August, but he’s had shoulder issues in the past and dealt with an elbow sprain in September.
More work could be done on the Orioles' rotation after they agreed to terms last night with Zach Eflin on a one-year, $10 million contract that includes a mutual option for 2027.
A breakdown of the terms can be found on Cot's Contracts.
Eflin receives a $5 million salary in 2026, with a $3 million signing bonus and a $2 million buyout. The buyout and option can increase by $1 million with 15 starts in 2026, an additional $1.5 million with 20 starts and an additional $2.5 million with 25 starts.
The mutual option can max out at $30 million, while the buyout can max out at $7 million.
Eflin is recovering from August back surgery, with a broad four-to-eight month recovery period. He is going to be on a more gradual ramp up process in camp, putting him behind the other starters, and that's going to reduce his chances of being ready for Opening Day.
I don't know what happens if the Orioles still add another starter for the front end of the rotation and Eflin is ready sometime early in the season.
* Baseball America isn’t wasting any time with its mock drafts.
The publication posted its first round on Dec. 9 and had the Orioles selecting 20-year-old Texas Christian University outfielder Sawyer Strosnider, a left-handed hitting, draft-eligible sophomore “with a high-upside blend of athleticism, power and speed.”
Strosnider, an Ohio native, batted .350/.420/.650 with 13 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs and 51 RBIs in 56 games.
The Orioles have used their first pick on an outfielder in four of the last six years with Heston Kjerstad (2020), Colton Cowser (2021), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (2023) and Vance Honeycutt (2024).
BA also had the Orioles taking Texas A&M third baseman Gavin Grahovac with the 33rd overall selection, but they traded their Competitive Balance Round A pick to the Rays in the Shane Baz deal.
The White Sox are projected to take UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, the 2025 College Player of the Year, at No. 1.