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The Orioles didn’t cut ties with Jorge Mateo in order to sew them together later.
Mateo had his $5.5 million club option declined back in November, which sent him into free agency and further away from Baltimore. He was hurt again, didn’t hit again, and wasn’t going to earn that kind of salary from any team.
The possibility lingered that the Orioles might try to negotiate a cheaper deal because they were unsettled at utility infielder, if they decided to actually carry one, but the Braves signed Mateo yesterday to a one-year, $1 million contract.
Mateo won a Fielding Bible Award in 2022 as the top defensive shortstop in the majors. The Braves need a player at the position after Ha-Seong Kim underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger after slipping on ice in South Korea and is expected to miss four-to-five months.
Staying on the field and getting on base have been challenges for Mateo. He underwent surgery in August 2024 after suffering a left elbow subluxation in a collision with Gunnar Henderson and returned to the injured list in June 2025 with inflammation in the elbow. A hamstring strain while on his rehab assignment became the latest setback and limited Mateo to 42 games in 2025 and only 110 over the past two seasons.
The speed will always intrigue, and Mateo stole 35 bases in 2022 and 32 in 2023. But he’s a career .221/.266/.363 hitter in six seasons.
The Braves will take the chaos he can create on the basepaths and, if smart, won’t risk it in the outfield. Move him around the infield and use him to pinch-run.
Plenty of other former Orioles remain in free agency. No one has signed starter Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez. Also available are reliever Seranthony Domínguez and infielder Ramón Urías, traded in July, and outfielder Austin Hays, traded at the 2024 deadline. Infielder Emmanuel Rivera also is out there.
* Infielder Marco Luciano remains in limbo after the Orioles designated him for assignment four days ago.
Luciano came off the 40-man roster when the Orioles claimed left-hander José Suarez on waivers from the Braves. He’s gone from the Giants to the Pirates to the Orioles since early December.
* Just a reminder that Kyle Bradish and Keegan Akin still have unresolved contract situations after exchanging salary figures with the Orioles.
Bradish is seeking $3.55 million and the Orioles countered at $2.875 million. Akin wants $3.375 million and the Orioles offered $2.975.
Arbitration hearings are the next step but the sides can keep negotiating. The Orioles are file-and-trial – that’s my personal choice among the two phrases – unless an option is attached to the contract.
* Gotta admit, I’m not feeling good about my Bills-Eagles Super Bowl prediction from August.
In case you missed it, the Orioles added 5,000 more Tupac bobbleheads for their May 8 promotions. The first 20,000 fans receive it.
The Pete Alonso bobblehead on Aug. 22 still goes to the first 15,000 fans. He didn’t equal Tupac, but he ain’t mad at cha.
* Let’s dig into the mailbag again.
Do you think Aron Estrada could be a Ramon Urías-type utility player but just better all-around? Estrada plays more positions, seems to have hit better in the minors, and is a better baserunner.
And he’s a switch-hitter! Urías is one of the more underrated and underappreciated Orioles in recent years, largely because he wasn’t an everyday player and didn’t do anything that suggested he could be a star. But he was a valuable bench guy with his defensive versatility and trustworthiness, and his competitive at-bats and pop. But this is more about Estrada. The .293 average and .380 on-base percentage in 293 minor league games get your attention and he plays pretty much anywhere. He just turned 21 and has a shot at debuting later this summer. Koby Perez brought up his name as perhaps the next international signing to reach the majors.
If a potential salary cap could impact the top earning potential of the top players, wouldn't it behoove them to sign big contracts before the CBA expires? In other words, wouldn't it be in Gunnar Henderson’s best interest to sign an extension with the Orioles now instead of hitting free agency in a time when teams have less spending power?
Behoove? What, are we in the cavalry now? (h/t to Hawkeye Pierce). I get your logic if there was any chance at all of Major League Baseball implementing a salary cap. There should be a mad rush to the contract extension line. However, I just don’t see it happening. I’ll gladly admit that I’m wrong, but who’s gonna pry the heels of players that are dug into the sand? MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has expressed his opposition to a potential salary cap multiple times, calling it "institutionalized collusion" back in July. His beard thickens while his patience thins.
You've mentioned Zac Gallen in the same breath as Framber Suarez and Ranger Valdez a few times now, but Zac's decline is pretty clear past two years. Why the same breath?
It’s more like a few of the same articles. Gallen remains one of the top starters on the market and is a possibility for the Orioles, so he’s got to be referenced. MLBTradeRumors.com ranked him at No. 15 among its top 50 free agents. But the statistical decline also is noted, and that’s a reason why he should come cheaper than Valdez and Suárez. He’d plug in nicely near the top of the rotation. Doesn’t have to be No. 1. And doesn’t have to be the Orioles’ first choice. They already missed out on Suárez.
What would a “Roch” trade for McKensie Gore look like on paper?
Hopefully, his first name would be spelled correctly on it. He’s “MacKenzie” Gore. I asked some Nats media and was told it’s probably less about specific positional needs for the club and more about the quality of prospects they’d want in return. We’re talking at least one top-ranked prospect who’s close to big league ready, plus another ranked prospect. And probably a young prospect who’s still years away but has a high ceiling.
Roch, have the last few offseasons with Mike Elias been more fun/interesting than the previous 10 years?
They’ve been different, for sure. Buying instead of selling, spending money instead of trying to save it, green lights instead of red. Signing Pete Alono is a real separator when comparing winter activities. I don’t know if anyone would view the teardown period as fun or interesting.
In terms of PDA at OPACY, what's a good base to stop at?
Get to first, remove the shin guard, slip on the oven mitt … and stay where you’re at. Nobody wants to watch you dive into second.
What are your mid-January predictions for the Orioles in 2026?
I think the Orioles will make the playoffs and they won’t get swept. Give me a little more time before seeking anything more specific. Teams haven't set their rosters.
Coke, Pepsi or RC Cola?
Tab, New Coke or Crystal Pepsi. But don’t sleep on Virgil’s Bavarian Nutmeg Swinglid, which also sounds like what might happen if you get to second base.
Are you in the mood to list the depth players Elias has added this offseason to the Norfolk roster?
Outfielders Jhonkensy Noel and Will Robertson cleared waivers and were outrighted to Norfolk. Infielder Marco Luciano was DFA’d last week and could stay in the organization. Left-hander Josh Walker was a waiver claim and later outrighted. Left-hander José Suarez was claimed on waivers Thursday. Catcher Sam Huff and left-hander Eric Torres signed minor league contracts, as did right-handers Jeisson Cabrera, Richard Guasch and Enoli Paredes. Infielder Payton Eeles was acquired in a trade with the Twins and is listed on Double-A Chesapeake’s roster, but he should move up. Those are just a few of the offseason transactions.
Any ideas how long you’re going to soldier on here at MASN? At least until after they win a World Series?
I’m back for the 2026 season unless a family crisis changes those plans. At my age and with this many years on the beat, you learn not to look too far down the road. And if you try, you’ll need to put on your glasses.
You have difficult jobs as reporters, especially when things are not going well for the team. What do you feel the most difficult period to cover the Orioles and why? Dan Connoly, for example, has stated that the 4-32 stretch in 2002 remains the most difficult in his professional career.
The 2002 finish under manager Mike Hargrove was brutal. Good luck trying to come up with fresh angles for game stories, which were much more prominently featured in the paper back then. Didn’t pitch, didn’t hit, didn’t field, found a way to lose again. Rinse and repeat. But the 2018 season for me was more torturous because the Orioles thought they’d contend. They didn’t expect the window to slam shut. They lost a franchise-record 115 games and finished 61 out of first place. You can’t rebuild without first tearing down, which they began to do in July. Media tracked whether changes were coming in the front office and manager’s office. One report had executive vice president Dan Duquette staying, which proved false. Other reports suggested that Duquette or manager Buck Showalter would be fired, but not both, which also was incorrect. They were let go on Oct. 3. It’s hard enough to cover a season without the added drama.
I live in Montgomery County. Will my cable provider still show MASN on TV when the Nats leave?
The Nats aren’t taking MASN with them. You should be fine.
Will Mayo be able to ketchup to the fastball and put enough mustard on the ball that he will relish his home run trot around the bases? And will he do a salsa dance at home plate? * No condiments were harmed in the making of this statement.
This is a good place to stop.
