Baseball business will slow down over the holiday but isn’t necessarily poised for a total shutdown.

The Orioles found their closer (Ryan Helsley) and two big bats (Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward) by the second week in December, and they also brought back a trusted set-up man (Andrew Kittredge) and might have snagged a fifth outfielder (Leody Taveras) to back up in center. That’s an impressive number of boxes checked, but there’s more to do before players start reporting to spring training.

The rotation is light on proven starters. Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano remain on the free agent market. The Orioles are down to Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells, along with a batch of No. 5 candidates that includes Cade Povich, Brandon Young and Trey Gibson – the latter waiting to make his major league debut.

Sixteen pitchers made starts for the Orioles last season, including Keegan Akin (three), Scott Blewett, Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia as openers. Sugano led the crew with 30, followed by Kremer with 29, Povich with 20 and Rogers with 18.

Charlie Morton was next with 17 before the Orioles traded him to the Tigers at the deadline. He retired with the Braves. Kyle Gibson made four starts before his release on May 20, and he retired two months later.

President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias is making the rotation a priority, especially with Alonso signed to a five-year, $155 million contract. Dylan Cease, the top starter on the market, came off the board when the Blue Jays offered a seven-year, $210 million deal, but Framber Valdez (No. 6 in MLBTradeRumors.com rankings), Tatsuya Imai (No. 7), Ranger Suárez (No. 10), Michael King (No. 14) and Zac Gallen (No. 15) are available.

Elias has talked to the Marlins about Edward Cabrera, per reports from the Winter Meetings. The Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore, Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, Pirates’ Mitch Keller and Royals’ Kris Bubic also among other starters who could be on the move.

Tarik Skubal could or won’t be traded depending on who’s asked. The industry isn’t in agreement, except that the asking price will be outrageous, even for a one-year rental. 

Elias said at the Winter Meetings that the Orioles could acquire multiple starters on major league contracts. Cease was a big domino to fall but other moves are slow to follow.

“I think it’s just gonna kind of depend on the personnel,” Elias said.

Manager Craig Albernaz wasn’t concerned about possible additions at the Winter Meetings, saying a day before the Alonso news broke, “I love our players we have now.”

“That's my only focus now are the guys in the Orioles uniform right now,” he said, “and I love our group.”

What else has got to be done?

The bullpen might have gained some length with Albert Suárez returning on a minor league deal. The signing doesn’t carry the same weight as the big four of Alonso, Ward, Helsley and Kittredge, but Suárez could become one of the most underrated additions of the offseason. His loss was felt for most of 2025.

Akin, Enns, Grant Wolfram and Josh Walker are left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster. The Orioles may want to deepen that group, though they also could choose to shift Povich to the bullpen. That’s a subject for spring training.

Adding another set-up man is a possibility with Yennier Cano tendered a contract but posting a 5.12 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in a team-leading 65 appearances. He has minor league options and the Orioles can’t assume that he’s going to revert back to All-Star form.

That was in 2023. He’s trending the wrong way.

Wells is a starter until he isn’t. This is how he’s going to prep in spring training and the team will decide later if he’s in the rotation or bullpen.

“You just named some really, really good arms and really, really good starters for us. I don’t know if any of them compare to Tyler Wells in terms of his ability to command the baseball,” pitching coach Drew French said last night on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on WBAL Radio.

“Where he might lack in terms of like the raw power and the raw stuff, his ability to execute, command, sequence, navigate a lineup three times through, know how to utilize his pitches for certain situations, whether it’s first and third and one out and he needs a ground ball double play, or its bases loaded and no outs and he knows he really needs a strikeout, this guy knows how to do those things. He’s got a lot of versatility in his game. We’re really excited about the work he’s put in this offseason with just body composition and turning the engine on a little bit more. We’re looking forward to seeing it.

“We were really, really proud of the rehab process and the things that Tyler and Kyle both did to get themselves back to being really productive big leaguers in September.”

Elias talked about role players being on his shopping list and that could lead him to an extra outfielder to play center and a utility infielder.

Luis Vázquez was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, so he remains in the organization. Jeremiah Jackson is on the 40-man roster and gained supporters with his hitting, but he’s only played right field and third base in the majors. The Orioles will need to move him around in camp.

Infielder Payton Eeles was acquired from the Twins for catcher Alex Jackson and he’s hit .285/.410/.417 with 28 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs, 94 RBIs and 68 bases stolen bases in 86 attempts in 210 minor league games. He’s played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions.

The third catcher debate rages on, with Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo alone on the 40-man and Norfolk’s roster down to Maverick Handley and Silas Ardoin. The Orioles need to address the position, whether or not they carry a third on Opening Day. Drew Romo was a waiver claim by the Mets, which further dented the depth.

The Orioles haven’t announced their coaching staff, which still leaves us wondering if there’s going to be another hire, whether a second assistant hitting coach or someone else. Albernaz said at the Winter Meetings that they’re “pretty much done,” but also, “we could have a fit for one more.”

As for the confirmed hires, Albernaz said, “I think it's going to be a great fit for everyone. All of our guys, our goal for our coaching staff is to have great coaches, great teachers, great communicators, but more importantly, great people. I think all the coaches that were brought in and the coaches that have been here, our pitching group and also Buck (Britton), they're great people. And so for us, we just needed great people around our players to support them.”

* Former Orioles left-hander John Means posted on social media last night that he ruptured his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, the same day that he was going to sign a contract “and be available on Opening Day for the first time in a long time.”

Means wrote that he underwent successful surgery Wednesday with Dr. Bryan Vopat.

“I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever,” he wrote. “I don’t know why this happened or how this chapter will ultimately be used, but I know it’s now part of my story and God has a plan.”

Means didn’t pitch in the majors last season after recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. The Guardians declined his $6 million option.

Bad things happen to good people and Means is an unfortunate example.