The end of the World Series gives teams an exclusive five-day window to negotiate with their own free agents before other clubs can begin making their own pitches.

The Orioles are waiting to be turned loose in the market.

The general manager meetings begin a week from today in Las Vegas, which can ignite trade discussions in the Orioles’ quest for pitching and an impact bat. It’s time to ditch the quiet period and get loud.

Among the questions I’ve posed in recent weeks involve cramming five starters into the rotation, who bats first, who’s in center field, does Tyler O’Neill homer again on Opening Day, will some starters be on innings limits, what happens to Albert Suárez, if any starters could move to the bullpen, what the Orioles will get from Trevor Rogers, and who leads the staff in innings.

Here's another one for the discussion.

What’s next for Heston Kjerstad?

I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll get any real updates on Kjerstad before players report to spring training.

His locker is going to be a popular gathering spot for media.

The entire 2025 season was a dud for Kjerstad, who was supposed to flourish with regular starts and at-bats. His time was now, and it didn’t happen, first due to poor results and then whatever health issue surfaced.

Kjerstad batted .192/.240/.327 in 54 games, with five doubles, two triples, four home runs, 19 RBIs, six walks, 45 strikeouts and a minus-1.6 bWAR. He didn’t play for the Orioles after June 6, though he was 4-for-13 with a double, two triples and three RBIs that month. He went 11-for-69 (.159) in May.

The outfield defense wasn’t going to keep Kjerstad in the lineup.  

More unexpected were the struggles with Triple-A Norfolk. The idea was to reset, dominate and return, but Kjerstad hit .149/.225/.248 in 27 games. He was put on the seven-day injured list with fatigue, taking his last at-bat on July 25 in Lehigh Valley.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino was asked multiple times about Kjerstad and relayed that the club would provide an update when ready. President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias provided some encouragement, though little clarity, at the season-ending press conference.

"Heston has been working with our doctors and other doctors on a medical condition,” Elias said. “He's responded favorably to some treatment and some different treatments that they've done recently and he's in a good spot right now and pointed in the right direction. We're going to see him in spring training and I'm really looking forward to that, because we missed the real Heston Kjerstad this year.

“I don't want to go into any more detail.”

Kjerstad’s story has been retold more times than Cinderella.

The Orioles helped him through his myocarditis diagnosis after they chose him second overall in the 2020 draft. A hamstring injury in Sarasota removed him from the field again. He sustained a concussion in 2024 and the symptoms lingered. He turns 27 in February and hasn’t played a full season in the majors, with the 54 games this year a career high.

Colton Cowser passed him, finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2024. Dylan Beavers is the No. 2 prospect who debuted in August. They both hit from the left side, just like Kjerstad.

The Orioles need another hitter and could target a right-handed slugging outfielder while also hopeful that O’Neill can stay away from the injured list and bring his 30-home run power to the lineup.

Kjerstad broke camp with the team, his spring deemed insignificant. He had a job, with an expanded role. He just couldn’t hold it.

Cedric Mullins and Ramón Laureano are gone, but that doesn’t necessarily create a spot for Kjerstad. He’s got to convince the Orioles that he’s healthy and compete. Otherwise, he’s stuck being Triple-A depth, which isn’t how his story was supposed to unfold.

“I still like him. I still do," said a scout from another organization.

"Boy, he just got off to a bad start, even when he was in the big leagues. And he just continued to slide in Triple-A. I was totally shocked. But I would like to take a whack at this kid. I really would. He’s got some severe juice."