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Baseball’s general manager meetings begin today in Las Vegas. The Orioles did some heavy roster shuffling last week to keep it at a full 40. Perhaps they can make the kind of progress this week that leads to other moves.
Pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez became free agents, and none of them are expected to return. Eflin’s back surgery diminished his chances but didn’t completely eliminate. He could stay on the market while teams monitor his recovery from back surgery.
Pitchers Félix Bautista, Grayson Rodriguez and Brandon Young were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. It’s a temporary reprieve for Bautista.
The bullpen added Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Cubs. I’m old enough to remember when it was the other way around.
The Orioles picked up the $9 million option and also could be responsible, per Cot’s Contracts, for performance bonuses for appearances and games finished, and award bonuses that include Reliever of the Year, World Series Most Valuable Player, All-Star selection and Gold Glove.
Left-hander José Castillo might have been non-tendered but instead was claimed on waivers by the Mets.
George Soriano was a waiver claim, giving the Orioles another bullpen option. They selected reliever Anthony Nunez’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk to protect him in the Rule 5 draft.
The outfield shuffling brought in Leody Taveras on a one-year, $2 million deal and Pedro León on a waiver claim. Daniel Johnson was outrighted, declined the assignment and became a free agent. Dylan Carlson also elected free agency after riding the shuttle a few times this summer.
The infield and outfield were impacted by the decision to decline the $5.5 million option on Jorge Mateo’s contract, which also made him a free agent.
The man has speed to burn but hasn’t hit or stayed healthy. The Orioles tried to expand his value by making him a center fielder, but the results weren’t favorable.
Left-handers Josh Walker and Carson Ragsdale were designated for assignment and their fates should be revealed shortly. The Orioles signed Walker to a one-year major league contract on Tuesday, which could deter some teams from claiming him.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards will be announced this week, beginning tonight with American and National League Rookies of the Year. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz should be the runaway winner in the AL.
None of the Orioles are finalists for these awards and they probably won’t have any vote recipients in the rookie category unless Sugano gets some love.
Ten players made their major league debuts this season – Sugano, Young, Ragsdale, pitchers Yaramil Hiraldo, Kade Strowd and Grant Wolfram, catchers Maverick Handley and Samuel Basallo, outfielder Dylan Beavers and infielder/outfielder Jeremiah Jackson.
Manager of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, Cy Young on Wednesday and Most Valuable Player on Thursday. Trevor Rogers could have some down-ballot votes. He deserves the recognition.
Players must decide whether to accept qualifying offers by Nov. 18, another deadline that doesn’t impact the Orioles. They don’t have anyone on the list of 13 that consists of Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen, Trent Grisham, Shota Imanaga, Michael King, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suárez, Gleyber Torres, Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez and Brandon Woodruff.
Teams also must protect eligible players in the Rule 5 draft, setting their 40-man rosters except for having the freedom to add later from the outside.
No one among the Orioles’ top 30 prospects is vulnerable, which seems unusual. Nunez was an obvious priority after coming in the Cedric Mullins trade with the Mets and striking out 83 batters in 56 2/3 innings at three levels this year.
The Orioles protected Young last year, as expected, but also Strowd. A surprising but smart move, it turned out, after he posted a 1.71 ERA in 25 games.
Strowd’s ERA is the eighth lowest by an Oriole through his first 25 career relief appearances in club history and the lowest since Donnie Hart’s franchise-record 0.43 ERA from July 17, 2016-April 12, 2017. Strowd registered nine straight scoreless appearances totaling nine innings from Aug. 19-Sept. 11.
The right-hander held left-handers hitless (0-for-15) from Aug. 31 through the end of the season after they went 6-for-19 from May 18-Aug. 28.
Is Strowd guaranteed a roster spot on Opening Day? Probably not. A big factor is going to be the number of other bullpen moves made in the offseason.
* Luis De León started for the American League last night in the Arizona Fall League’s Future Stars Game and retired the side in order in the first inning. He struck out two batters and retired another on a line drive to right fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
De León, 22, topped out at 97.3 mph with his sinker. The Dominican left-hander posted a 3.30 ERA at three levels this year, finishing with Double-A Chesapeake, and struck out 107 batters in 87 1/3 innings. He didn’t surrender a home run.
MLB Pipeline ranks De León as the organization’s No. 21 prospect.
Bradfield, the No. 4, prospect played right and center field and batted ninth. He struck out in all three of his at-bats.
Tanner Smith, the third Smith to pitch for the AL, allowed a run and three hits with two strikeouts in the fifth inning. His four-seam fastball touched 98.1 mph.
The Orioles acquired Smith from the Padres in the Ryan O’Hearn/Ramón Laureano trade. He struck out 52 in 37 1/3 innings and posted a 3.38 ERA with four teams this summer.
Smith made four appearances with High-A Aberdeen and tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with three hits, no walks and 11 strikeouts.
Ethan Anderson entered the game at first base in the sixth inning and struck out and walked in two plate appearances. The 2024 second-round draft pick is batting .313/.408/.453 with six doubles, a home run and 13 RBIs in 17 games with Peoria in the AFL.
* Andres Rodriguez posted on his Instagram account that the Orioles have hired him as the assistant pitching coordinator in Latin America.
Rodriguez was the Red Sox’s Florida Complex League co-pitching coach in 2025. He joined the Fort Myers staff in 2023 after serving as a strength and conditioning coach with Double-A Erie in the Tigers organization.
The position is mostly based in Sarasota but also involves some travel.
Rodriguez posted the following on his LinkedIn account:
“I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to the entire Red Sox organization. The opportunity to learn, grow, and be part of such a dedicated group of coaches, players, and staff has had a tremendous impact on me both professionally and personally. I’m truly thankful for the relationships and memories built along the way. As I take on this new challenge, I’m excited to continue evolving as a coach and to contribute to player development on a larger scale!”
