A week has passed since the Orioles made their last roster move, claiming outfielder/infielder Weston Wilson on waivers from the Phillies. In less than three weeks, the full squad will have reported to spring training in Sarasota.

Perhaps the Orioles will have found another starting pitcher and reliever. They could do a little more work on the position side, too.

Let’s dig into both sides of the mailbag while we wait.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved original. And a reminder that my mailbag owns a snowblower and your mailbag tries to clear the driveway with table salt and a spatula.

Do you think the Orioles bullpen is good enough to not be a problem? Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, Keegan Akin and Tyler Wells have track records of success. Dietrich Enns, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Colin Selby, Kade Strowd and Grant Wolfram seem like the most likely pool for the other four spots. Anthony Nunez may be a wild card. Cade Povich, Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young could be converts. Seems thin. What do you think?
I think you should be gassed after asking such a long question. Is this your attempt at cardio? Anyway, I think the Orioles should and will add at least one more high-leverage reliever, ideally a left-hander to go with Akin and Enns. Would they consider a reunion with Danny Coulombe or Cionel Pérez? The latter worked out for about 20 teams in Tampa and I talked to a scout from another American League team who recommended him. The stuff looked good, including a 98 mph fastball. But the Orioles soured on him, and for good reason. They may not be interested in 2.0. I think Helsley, Kittredge, Akin and Wells are locks, and that’s assuming the rotation doesn’t have room for Wells. I expect Enns to join them, and Cano probably will, but he must earn a spot. He has minor league options, and a putrid spring could cost him a roster spot. You left out Albert Suárez. He’s in my mock bullpen. After that, it could be a free-for-all. Another bullpen signing late in the offseason changes the equation. The unit looks pretty good but could be better.

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 Orioles increased their total number of players in DFA limbo to three yesterday by adding reliever George Soriano. But that’s only half the story.

Not the most interesting part, either.

President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias claimed outfielder Jhonkensy Noel on waivers from the Guardians, a move that didn’t seem to be on the shopping list.

First a Polar Bear, and now “Big Christmas.”

Maybe J.T. Snow will come out of retirement.

The year 2026 has been quiet for the Orioles. No fireworks since the ball dropped.

Starter Zach Eflin is the last transaction, signing a one-year, $10 million contract on Dec. 28 with a mutual option.

The redundancy in reviewing Mike Elias’ shopping list can damage brain cells. Yes, another starting pitcher. Yes, more relievers. Yes, maybe a utility infielder and extra catcher. Yes, maybe another outfielder who can play center.

Big names and role players are on the radar.

My head is inside the mailbag which is better than where I'm often accused of burying it. Let’s tackle 12 questions as the NFL moves into its postseason and college football moves closer to crowning a national champion.

Major League Baseball rang in the New Year by knocking down one of the big starting pitcher dominos in free agency. Maybe you heard the noise.

Not quite as jarring as a snow squall emergency alert on your phone.

I had to change the sheets.

The Astros reached agreement with Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai on a three-year, $54 million deal that includes multiple opt-out clauses. MLBTradeRumors.com ranked him seventh on its top 50 list and projected a contract for $150 million over six years.

Still on the market are Framber Valdez, who seems even less likely to stay in Houston, and Ranger Suárez. The Orioles have expressed their interest in both starters and remain in the running, as far as we know. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson predicted earlier this week that the Orioles would sign Valdez, whose 83 quality starts the past four seasons are second-most in the majors behind Logan Webb’s 85.

Outbidding other teams to sign first baseman Pete Alonso would have qualified as wishful thinking back in the day.

On this day, it remains a reality for the Orioles. They did it.

Shoppers are forming lines to return holiday gifts. Not every wish is granted. But the Orioles don’t want any refunds. They’re thrilled to go into the New Year with Alonso, Taylor Ward, Ryan Helsley, Shane Baz and Andrew Kittredge.

They also have center fielder Leody Taveras on a $2 million contract. He was the offseason’s first significant signing for the Orioles, with the deal finalized on Nov. 5.

Taveras is penciled into the outfield with Ward, Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Beavers. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias isn’t done checking the market, especially center fielders, which would enlarge the crowd and raise questions about Taveras.

Would the Orioles dare to make a roster move on the day before Christmas?

There are no organizational rules against it. President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias won’t silence the ringer on his phone.

It didn’t happen last year. They signed three players to minor league deals on Dec. 23 – pitchers Matt Bowman and Gerald Ogando and outfielder Jordyn Adams. And they traded first baseman Lewin Díaz to the Braves for cash considerations on Dec. 23, 2022, during that weird stretch where they’d lose him and take him back. It felt like a toxic relationship.

Catcher Lians Beato signed a minor league contract on Christmas Day 2018. Gift exchanges weren’t paused and he never made it past the Dominican Summer League.

You must go back to 2014 to find the last Christmas Eve transaction, when the Orioles signed left-hander Cesar Cabral to a minor league deal. They claimed catcher Ryan Lavarnway on waivers from the Cubs the previous day.

A few lingering questions were answered yesterday with news that the Orioles re-signed pitcher Albert Suárez to a minor league deal, lost switch-hitting catcher Drew Romo to the Mets on a waiver claim and sent catcher Maverick Handley to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers.

Suárez was non-tendered on Nov. 21, but president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias indicated in a video call that the Orioles were willing to bring him back.

It always was expected to be a minor league contract because Suárez made $825,000 this year and MLBTradeRumors.com projected his arbitration salary at $900,000. Why else would the Orioles non-tender him?

“The arbitration system, the tender system, there are price points that are set by the system itself that you have to adapt your decision-making to,” Elias said last month when asked about Suárez, who pitched in only five games this year due to shoulder and forearm injuries.

“We love Albert. He’s been a tremendous success story for us since our pro scouts and Mike Snyder’s group found him coming out of Asia. What our pitching department did to develop him, and then what he did particularly in 2024. And it was a real bummer and it was a big part of a lot of the struggles we had last (season) that he got hurt.

The Orioles were linked to Michael King pretty much from the outset of free agency in their quest to land a starting pitcher, and nothing has changed in the many weeks that followed.

Framber Valdez also is in play and the Orioles already met with him at the general managers meetings. Ranger Suárez, too, seems to fall in their price range, given that they spent $155 million over five years for first baseman Pete Alonso.

It wouldn’t be completely accurate to say that money is no object, but it isn’t nearly as much of an obstruction anymore.

“We have resources to do other deals, as well, and we don't have particular constraints,” control owner David Rubenstein said again at the Alonso press conference. “We don't have any particular limit that we imposed on Mike (Elias). So as long as the baseball rules are what they are today, we can do what we want to do, and we're prepared to do what we need to do to get the team to be on a championship level. We're ready to go.

“If there are other great players we can get, we'll try to get 'em.”

The best part of Thanksgiving might be the leftovers. The holiday stretches for days and days.  

Mailbags also can be stretched and they won’t turn different colors if those days become weeks. They also don’t create dirty dishes and pans that need soaking.

Let's dig into these leftovers.  

What do you think of Zac Gallen for our rotation? We have a ton of  Scott Boras players, so Mike Elias seems to be comfortable working with him. Gallen cannot be the main addition, but if we can get another pitcher like Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez in addition to him, I am more than OK with that.
As long as you’re happy. But seriously, I would have shown a little more enthusiasm a few years ago, when his ERA was 2.54, or even 3.47 and 3.65 the next two years. It was 4.83 in 33 starts this year, and his 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings were the lowest of his career. But he would be a nice addition to the rotation. Maybe not the “main” guy, but on the other hand – and there’s usually two – would it be that bad if Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers and Zac Gallen comprised the top three? Come on, be honest with me.

Roch, have the Orioles explained in any detail what Mike Shildt's duties will be? His title gives me the impression that he's going to be in charge of player development in the minor leagues. Who was doing the work that he will now be doing? This feels like a big change to me.
Ha, you said “duties.” You also misspelled his name, as did the poster of the next question, but I made the necessary corrections in a rare bit of editing. S-H-I-L-D-T. The Orioles haven’t announced the hire, which leaves us to speculate and assume. Upper-level minor league coordinator of instruction means he’ll work with players at Triple-A and Double-A. I don’t think anyone else had the title. I checked the staff listing. We’ll find out more later, but he seems like a really smart hire given his past experience in player development and the rest of his resume, including successful manager. Anything he can do to better prepare prospects for the majors will be a big asset.

We’re a day away from Thanksgiving gluttony and I’ve got a mailbag that’s already stuffed.

You ask, I answer and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2009 original. That’s right, 2009. You can look it up if you navigate the internet better than me.

The only editing here is to remove the Jell-O salad that your crazy aunt insisted on bringing again.

Also, my mailbag carves the turkey at the head of the table and your mailbag sit at the kids' table.

Who is more likely to be traded, Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo? And no “hold the Mayo” jokes.
I’m better than that. Mountcastle is a trade candidate because of a projected salary around $8 million, past health issues, a decline in production, and a market that exists for him. Mayo would be a big prospect piece in a potential deal. Both are possibilities, but if I have to rank them I’d say Mountcastle is more likely to go as a pending free agent. The reason why Mayo enters the conversation is because the Orioles would have to dip into that prospect pool in order to trade for an ace. He used to be untouchable but that might not be the case anymore. I’m not saying that he’s being shopped, just that there might be more of a willingness to listen.

The Orioles’ pitching staff is incomplete, with additions sought for the rotation and bullpen. Mike Elias traded for an outfielder but might want another option in center. He also has indicated that he could target a big bat.

Nothing much is said about the infield besides the decision to tender Ryan Mountcastle a contract.

Ramón Urías was used in a utility role until the deadline trade to Houston, which designated him for assignment last week. The Orioles designated Luis Vázquez for assignment on Tuesday, but he stays in the organization after clearing waivers yesterday and accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Vázquez will come to spring training after appearing in 32 games and going 8-for-50. He’s a plus defender at shortstop and maybe the best emergency reliever in history with four scoreless appearances with three hits allowed over 4 1/3 innings.

Got to be in the top 10 at least, right? Maybe he should close.

They didn't get me this time.

The Orioles announce a late trade or signing every offseason that catches me napping. Or sleeping, to be exact.

I still haven't gotten over the James McCann deal in December 2022. I woke up to multiple missed calls and texts.

Anyway, they tried to sneak Taylor Ward past me last night and it didn't work. I was awake - barely. And this was a real shocker because the Orioles dealt Grayson Rodriguez in a one-for-one. 

They couldn't wait any longer for Rodriguez to reach his vast potential. The injuries kept piling up, making him the right-handed version of DL Hall, chosen in the first round one year earlier. Rodriguez hasn't pitched since July 31, 2024. Lat/teres, elbow, triceps, shoulder. The hits just kept coming.

The Orioles must set their 40-man roster later today by protecting the Rule 5 eligible players they don’t want exposed in the draft.

Cross off another date on baseball’s fall and winter calendar. Up next is Friday night’s non-tender deadline.

The mailbag doesn’t need to be protected, though many outlets would love to claim it.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved early 2009 original. That's when it debuted, upon further review. A four-star review. 

Also, my mailbag will never be exposed and your mailbag is left outside in the rain and cold.

Trevor Rogers received some well-deserved recognition last night with the unveiling of the American League Cy Young ballots.

I didn’t think I’d be solely responsible for it.

Rogers tied the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen for ninth place, with both pitchers receiving a fifth-place vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is a back-to-back winner, followed by the Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet, the Astros’ Hunter Brown, the Yankees’ Max Fried and the Mariners’ Bryan Woo. Skubal received 26 first-place votes and Crochet the other four.

I put Skubal first, Crochet second, Brown third and Fried fourth, keeping me in line with the majority. The last spot came down to Rogers or Woo. I didn’t want to be viewed as a homer if I selected Rogers or a jerk if omitting him because I cover the team.

The first few weeks of the offseason also exist so various outlets can begin ranking free agents and trying to match them with prospective teams.

MLB.com published its top 30 this week, headed by outfielder Kyle Tucker, third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. The Orioles have three free agents – pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez - and none made the rankings. Eflin was listed among the 11 honorable mentions, which also included Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn.

The Orioles are interested in obtaining at least one starting pitcher, which can be done via free agency or a trade, and multiple relievers. They can sift through some in-house options but have too many holes to fill to operate solely from within. They also will try to strengthen the lineup with a proven hitter, and the outfield seems like the only area with room.

The site lists the Orioles among “possible fits” for five of the 30 players: Starter Dylan Cease (10^th), closer Edwin Díaz (14^th), closer Robert Suarez (17^th), starter Jack Flaherty (22^nd) and starter Chris Bassitt (28^th). Diáz would have to opt out of the final two years of his contract. Suarez would have to decline his $8 million options for the next two seasons. Flaherty has a $20 million option in his contract, and he did nothing to impress the Orioles during his half-season in 2023.

Perhaps only three teams are allowed to be attached to each free agent. If the above names make sense for the Orioles, so do outfielder Cody Bellinger (No. 5), though a right-handed bat might fit better, starter/reliever Michael King (No. 8), left-handed starter Framber Valdez (No. 9), left-handed starter Ranger Suárez (No. 11), starter Zac Gallen (No. 18), starter Shane Bieber (No. 20), reliever Devin Williams (No. 21), reliever Ryan Heisley (No. 26) and starter Lucas Giolito (No. 29).

The Blue Jays finished in last place in 2024 and are headed to the World Series. They were the top seed in the American League, just like the Orioles in 2023.

The Orioles slipped to the top Wild Card the following year and all the way into the division basement this summer. They won 75 games, one more than Toronto in 2024.

Should parallels be paraded to fans praying for a prolific bounce back next season?

Payroll disparities can’t be ignored – the Blue Jays at almost $242 million on Opening Day and the Orioles at around $164 million.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed an extension in April for $500 million over 14 years and he was named Most Valuable Player in the Championship Series. George Springer signed a six-year, $150 million free-agent contract in January 2021 and his three-run homer in the seventh inning in Game 7 propelled the Blue Jays into the World Series.

Stephen King wrote a novel in 1979 entitled “The Dead Zone” that became a movie four years later and a television series in the early 2000s. No one had October in mind for baseball’s non-playoff teams, but it applied.

Just sub out Christopher Walken for Christian Walker.

But this is about the Orioles.

A manager wasn’t going to be hired this quickly, but I’ve counted one confirmed interview, Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas, whose brother Felipe Alou Jr. has worked in a variety of roles in the Orioles’ organization. Rojas managed the Mets for two seasons.

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols reportedly has drawn interest from the Orioles, but that’s it. They like the idea of interviewing him.

The first offseason mailbag filled up quickly and required a second dumping.

Here are some extras from earlier this week. Same rules against obsessive editing and crowing about it. Same weird mix of baseball and anything else.

Given Grayson Rodriguez’s health issues, and Kyle Bradish (and Tyler Wells) coming back from injury, might the Orioles reconsider starting the season with a six-man rotation? If/when someone gets hurt, they could drop down to five if they don't see it as a season-long thing.
The issue with a six-man rotation always has been the added stress it places on a bullpen. You’re a man short. I see your logic, but you’d need relievers to cover those innings. I think Rodriguez is the only one who could be babied at the beginning because he hasn’t pitched since July 31, 2024. We’ll know more about the team’s plans after camp opens, but my expectation is a standard five-man rotation with the possibility of expanding it later in the summer.  

How many former catchers will interview for the manager's job?
Rick Dempsey would love a shot at it. Not happening. But he needs to be on the guest coaching list at spring training. The man only caught in the majors for 24 years and won a couple World Series. But back to your question. The odds are much better for David Ross, Bob Melvin, Brad Ausmus and Mike Matheny.

Does being a former Oriole weigh into the club's decision on a new manager?
The Orioles aren't saying much about the search but that doesn't make much sense. Brandon Hyde had no ties to the Orioles. Ryan Flaherty, as another example, played under Buck Showalter. Why would that matter to the current regime? His playing career ended with Cleveland in 2019. Maybe the Guardians will call if they need another manager. If the Orioles hire Flaherty, it will be because of his coaching background after retirement, his knowledge and implementation of analytics, his intelligence, what he learned as a player.  

As we’ve learned through years and years of testing and experimentation, you can’t have an offseason mailbag without an offseason. It’s literally in the name.

Let’s break out the first one here, the latest sequel to the beloved and often celebrated 2008 original.

As you’d expect, many of the questions pertained to the pending managerial and GM hirings and specifics about the roster. And as you’d expect, I can’t provide many definitive answers because it’s too early or the club hasn’t shared the necessary information.

It’s hard to see clearly in the dark.

What’s much more obvious is that my mailbag sacks quarterbacks and your mailbag wants its quarter back after tipping a waiter.