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.

Until the Kittredge deal, you have to go back to 2020, when Elias sent left-hander Tommy Milone to the Braves for infielders AJ Graffanino and Greg Cullen. It’s borderline but you also can count minor league pitcher Miguel Padilla coming from the Astros as the player-to-be-named-later in the Hector Velázquez trade from July 29.

That’s it for November.

The last impactful deal in the month happened in 2013, when executive vice president Dan Duquette acquired reliever Brad Brach from the Padres for minor league pitcher Devin Jones.

That kind of robbery should get your picture hung in a post office.

The Orioles need at least one more starting pitcher. Elias said he’s looking for a “front half of the rotation guy,” which can be a 1, 2 or maybe a 3. Drawing a line that separates halves is trickier with five men.

This would be a good time to sit down with the Pirates and talk about Mitch Keller, who is available. He was a favorite of former manager Brandon Hyde, which, of course, doesn’t mean as much now.

Keller will make $15.9 million in 2026, $18.4 million in 2027 and $20.4 million in 2028.

The Twins appear willing to move Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez. The Cardinals’ Sonny Gray on the block – which is safer than being on The Block, if you know what I mean - but he’s making $35 million next year and has a full no-trade clause. The Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara is linked to the Orioles every winter. The Nationals are expected to move MacKenzie Gore, who’s under team control for two more years.

Are they really that far away from contending?

The Reds will listen to offers for ace Hunter Greene, but they’d have to be overwhelmed to part with him. Don’t count on it. He’s more likely to stay. And the same appears true of Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, per reports.

I’d faint if the Tigers traded Tarik Skubal. OK, that’s extreme. Maybe I'd feel a little light-headed. And Pittsburgh is more likely to drain the Allegheny River and fill it with Iron City beer than get rid of Paul Skenes.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote yesterday that it’s time to open the checkbook and “play in the big-arm sandbox.” Sounds better than the slide into last place – my words, not his.

Passan thinks the Orioles should sign Dylan Cease, “particularly if they don't want to dip into their system like they did to acquire (Corbin) Burnes.” They’ve held past interest in Cease, and not only from his White Sox days.  

* Former Orioles third base coach and interim manager Tony Mansolino already has a new job title in Atlanta.

The Braves hired Mansolino last week as third base coach, but they’ve changed his role to bench coach and infield instructor. He’s back in the dugout.

Mansolino wasn’t brought back after the Orioles hired Craig Albernaz as manager. It became clear early on that Mansolino’s only chance to stay would be as manager. He wasn’t a consideration for the coaching staff.

Let’s close with some mailbag questions.

What would your ideal infield alignment be for OD?
I’ll assume you mean “Opening Day” and not “Old Dominion,” cause I know nothing about Monarchs baseball. Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop, Jordan Westburg is at third base, Jackson Holliday is at second base, and Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo is at first. I’m torn there because I really like Mountcastle and still think he could get his power back if he stays healthy. That’s a big “if.” But also, I want to see Mayo finally get a real shot after an impressive September. He’s got to play. No more shuttle and no more part-time role. But that probably happens only if Mountcastle is gone. Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman are going to get at-bats at designated hitter, which blocks Mayo.  

Odds that Tomoyuki Sugano is invited back on a similar deal for starting depth? I think he could be a No. 4/5 still.
Not a 6/7 (moves hands up and down)? Sorry. I’m not placing odds because, you know, the whole gambling thing. I don’t think Sugano returns and I don’t think he gets $13 million. Just my opinion. Dig up this answer after he signs a multi-year deal. I’d be fine with Sugano competing at the back end of the rotation. There’s got to be a No. 1 or 2 to pair with Kyle Bradish, and Trevor Rogers should be among the first three. After that, let the club figure out what to do with another new starter, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez, Cade Povich, Brandon Young and the others.

How many days out should I start to thaw out a 25-pound turkey? Or should I just throw that bad boy in the oven still frozen?
Six days of thawing in the refrigerator is recommended. Or try dropping a frozen turkey in a deep fryer filled with hot oil and let us know what happens. I bet it increases your sprint speed.

If it’s “put up” time, what would need to be the very best acquired to “shut up?”
I think you’re asking what they need to do in order to win. That’s my interpretation. We can try again if I’m wrong. Get a frontline starting pitcher. Find a big bat that is gripped by a clubhouse leader. Get a closer and more set-up help. Light candles in church for the core to reach its offensive potential. But let’s start with a starter.

With new stadium upgrades to pay for, and giving fans a bounce back year in terms of success, how crazy is it to think the Orioles could have a $200 million payroll to begin next season? I think it will be close to that.
I think it will be closer than the approximate $164.5 million in 2025. It keeps climbing.

Is it really put-up-or-shut-up time in Baltimore? If they don’t put up, what happens then?
I guess they shut up. Aren’t those the two choices?

2026. Yes or no?
There will be a 2026, according to sources with knowledge of how years work. Whether the Orioles are a playoff team depends on their roster activity over the winter, their health, whether some returnees improve, the other clubs, etc. It can happen. I’ll say again that I don’t agree with anyone who insists they can’t contend because of what happened this year. 

How long will David Rubenstein wait to fire Mike Elias if we aren't at least to .500 by June?
Elias was promoted in the spring. He isn’t going to be fired next spring. But it’s important that this team hop right back into contention. Everyone knows it.

I know it’s still too early to predict possible free agents coming to Baltimore, but could Luis Arráez be a fit for the O’s? He’s a hitter!
Yes he is – from the left side and with very little power. I love the career .317 average, .363 on-base percentage and scrawny strikeout totals. The Orioles could use that skill set. But he’s more first base and second base now and those don’t appear to be areas of need. A group of 46 voters from MLB.com recently made predictions on some top free agents. Fifteen teams were linked to Arráez. None were the Orioles.

Do you think the front office will add a top starter?
Yes, I do. I think they have the prospect package for a trade and I think they’d be willing to spend for one of the upper-tier free-agent pitchers. They can get an impactful starter without going way beyond their comfort zone. A trade is the easiest route because an agent can’t steer away his client. There are no cash bidding wars. It’s two front office executives working out the details.

I see some reports from the GM meetings that the Orioles will spend big this offseason. Do you believe it?
What I’ve read is a few sources saying it’s happening because they need to after finishing last. I need to clean out my garage, but does that means I’m going to do it? Maybe. There’s probably a better chance that the Orioles hand out large sums of money. My point here is that I also think they could make a bold financial move, but I wouldn’t read too much into outsiders saying it based on this year’s standings.   

Could the Orioles bring back Danny Coulombe?
They have the capability and the need – those neutral splits are attractive - but they declined his $4 million option last offseason, which leads me to believe that they’ve moved on from him. The Twins signed him to a $3 million deal with incentives, which seemed more than reasonable. Coulombe shouldn’t have any trouble finding suitors unless teams are scared away by the 5.25 ERA and 1.667 WHIP in his 15 games with the Rangers. He posted a 1.16 ERA and 0.968 WHIP in 40 appearances with the Twins before the trade deadline.

Does Craig Albernaz like apples? Sorry for the Goodwill Hunting reference, but considering how much people talk about his accent, it seemed like a fair question.
Maybe the subject will come up at the Winter Meetings. We keep talking about the Orioles’ core. That could be my segue to apples. And this is probably a good place to stop.

Are you locked up in a world that's been planned out for you? Are you feeling like a social tool without a use?
This is definitely a good place to stop.