In executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias’ session earlier today with media at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, he provided an update on the search for starting pitching and a willingness to explore every option available.

Here are some quick hits.

* Surrendering a draft pick for a pitcher who rejected the qualifying offer isn’t a deal-breaker for the Orioles.

“We’re in on everybody,” Elias said. “We’re talking to everybody. When there’s aspects of the rules that create wrinkles, you’ve got to weigh them, so we do that. But there is no player that we’re not interested in or pursuing in some shape or fashion if we feel like the talent is additive to the current roster that we have."

* Elias is immersed in trade talks that also could remove major league talent from his roster.

Minor League Baseball (“MiLB”) is pleased to announce that the Baltimore Orioles organization has been named the recipient of the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award. This award is presented to the Major League Baseball (“MLB”) organization whose Minor League personnel best exemplify MiLB’s commitment to fostering a culture of sportsmanship and professionalism on the field.

Four organizations were selected as finalists for this award for the 2024 season: Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore’s four affiliates – Norfolk, Bowie (now Chesapeake), Aberdeen and Delmarva – set the standard for exemplary sportsmanship while maintaining a competitive environment for player development without undue interruptions from on-field conflicts. Remarkably, no player, manager, or coach in the Orioles system missed a game due to a suspension for on-field conduct in 2024.

“From top to bottom throughout the season, the Orioles organization stood out for their professionalism on the field and the respect shown to umpires, opponents, and fans,” said Michael Hill, MLB’s Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations. “We appreciate their efforts and are pleased to recognize them with this well-deserved honor.”

“We pride ourselves on building a strong learning environment that helps people grow and believe that displaying exemplary behavior is an important aspect of that standard,” said Anthony Villa, Baltimore’s Director of Player Development. “We are proud to be recognized by Minor League Baseball with the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award as this is a credit to our players, our coaches, our support staff, and everyone in between, showcasing their positive energy and the effort they bring to their jobs every single day.”

Each season, MLB organizations work closely with their on-field personnel to emphasize the importance of developing as professionals while creating a positive environment on and off the field. Educational materials are provided to communicate the significance of an on-field culture that positively impacts the game of baseball, Minor League players, and fans.

The Orioles' minor leagues have come a long way under the Mike Elias regime to become the No. 1 ranked organization in the majors. The O's no longer claim the top spot, but they do remain as one of baseball's top farms.

Today, they got another, different honor.

The Orioles organization was named the recipient of the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award. This award is presented to the Major League Baseball organization whose Minor League personnel best exemplify MiLB’s commitment to fostering a culture of sportsmanship and professionalism on the field.

The four organizations that were finalists for the 2024 season were Arizona, Baltimore, Miami and Milwaukee. 

Per a Minor League Baseball press release, "Baltimore’s four affiliates – Norfolk, Bowie (now Chesapeake), Aberdeen and Delmarva – set the standard for exemplary sportsmanship while maintaining a competitive environment for player development without undue interruptions from on-field conflicts. Remarkably, no player, manager, or coach in the Orioles system missed a game due to a suspension for on-field conduct in 2024."

The Orioles haven’t announced their agreements with outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, whose contracts become official after they pass their physicals. Two important items will crossed off the shopping list, with O’Neill replacing Anthony Santander in right and Sánchez replacing James McCann as the backup.

The position side appears to be completed unless there’s some late tinkering. It’s the pitching that remains a priority.

The rotation and bullpen are areas that lead to discussions with rival executives and agents. The Winter Meetings in Dallas are the latest setting for them.

“The whole offseason, what we’re trying to do is just improve our team anyway we can,” said assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum. “We set out wanting to improve our offense, particularly with guys who can mash against left-handed pitchers, so that’s going to be a continued priority for us, bringing in some righty bats. And pitching I think is the other big area. We’ve been talking to a ton of pitchers so far this offseason — some who have signed already with other teams, some who haven’t signed yet. Looking at both starters and relievers.

“We expect Félix (Bautista) to be back, but he’s coming off Tommy John surgery, of course, so we want to make sure he has plenty of support in that bullpen if he can’t pitch as frequently as maybe we’re used to him pitching in the past. So definitely looking to do whatever we can to shore that up, whether that’s with internal options or externally. And then starting. I think it’s no secret that we have some guys who are down with Tommy John. Corbin Burnes has left. So we’re looking for at least one solid starter to bring in, because you can never have too much pitching, especially in this day and age.”

At his offseason home in Florida last Thursday night, while it was very cold in Baltimore, O’s manager Brandon Hyde joined us from a much warmer climate. When Brett Hollander and I hosted the season debut edition of the "Hot Stove" radio show on WBAL Radio, Hyde was a guest.

Not to rub it in, but when asked how the weather was in his neighborhood at that time, he told us he was in shorts and getting ready to cookout.

Yeah, that could work.

On matters relating to his baseball team, Hyde provided a few other thoughts.

Please note this interview took place before the O's weekend agreements with Tyler O'Neill and Gary Sanchez. And he cannot publicly talk about that pair anyway until the O's make those signings official. That seems likely to come this week during the Winters Meetings in Dallas. 

Last year’s Winter Meetings appeared to confirm the handful of Orioles prospects deemed untouchable, at least to some rival executives - a group that included Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad.

This week could present an opportunity for media in Dallas to glean whether some statuses have changed.

Holliday projects as the starting second baseman after a rough introduction to the majors, where he batted .189/.255/.311 with 69 strikeouts in 60 games. He’s made an adjustment at the plate, removing the leg lift as a timing mechanism and going with a toe tap, and the Orioles maintain a high opinion of a player drafted one/one and who ranked as the top prospect in baseball.

Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías also can play second, giving manager Brandon Hyde infield flexibility. But the ideal setup has Holliday at second, Westburg at third and Urías and Mateo working in utility roles. Mateo also could be an extra right-handed hitting outfielder.

Kjerstad could find many more opportunities bouncing between the outfield and designated hitter. The Orioles signed Tyler O’Neill to replace Anthony Santander, but Kjerstad offers the contrast of a left-handed bat.

The Orioles have agreed to a contract with a right-handed hitter with thump, filling one key need on their offseason wish list. They came to terms with free agent outfielder Tyler O’Neill on a three-year deal for $49.5 million. The deal has yet to be officially announced.

O’Neill is the first free agent the O’s acquired with a multi-year deal since Mike Elias took over as general manager. He can opt out after the 2025 season, which would essentially make this a one-year deal.

O’Neill, who turns 30 on June 22, last year for Boston made 56 starts in left field, 34 in right field and 17 as the DH. His addition seems to make it quite unlikely now that the O’s will re-sign free agent outfielder Anthony Santander.

O'Neill was named the Red Sox Comeback Player of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America's Boston chapter. O’Neill missed 27 games due to three stints on the injured list. He went to the seven-day concussion IL on April 18 and also went on the IL May 29 with right knee inflammation and Aug. 7 with a lower leg infection.

Over 113 games and 473 plate appearances with Boston, he hit .241/.336/.511/.847 with a 132 OPS+ that was just below Santander’s 134.

The Orioles found their right-handed hitting outfielder.

The club is signing Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract worth $49.5 million, according to a source. The deal, which becomes official after he passes a physical, includes an opt-out after 2025.

This is the first multi-year free-agent contract since Mike Elias joined the front office, though it could become a one-year deal with the opt-out. The Orioles hired Elias as executive vice president/general manager in November 2018.

O’Neill’s deal also signals that the club is moving on from Anthony Santander, a free agent who hit 44 home runs this summer.

Power isn’t sacrificed with O’Neill in the fold. He hit 33 homers in 113 games with the Red Sox and posted a .336 on-base percentage in 473 plate appearances. Santander owns a career .307 OBP.

For Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers, the key to getting some velocity back and hopefully his previous big league form with it could come from his legs.

During this previous interview here with Rogers, he said weight room work will be big for him this winter. And that he learned via trips to Driveline Baseball in Phoenix, that his lower body strength was not what was needed. 

“The Orioles and Driveline, we’ve been in constant communication, just making sure we are all on the same page,” said Rogers, 27. “We looked at the numbers and my lower body strength was far below average. So, it correlates with velocity.

“To be honest I was happy to see that. If everything was right in the middle or average, we might have a bigger question. But knowing that was lacking and it contributed to my lower velocity, I was excited to know there is an answer. And I can work to attain the goal of getting stronger.”

Last year Rogers was traded from Miami to the Orioles on July 30^th for Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. He had a 7.11 ERA in four O’s starts before being sent to the minors where he finished the year at Triple-A Norfolk. He made one terrible start for the Tides (pitching when he was ill), but had an ERA of 2.96 his last four Tides starts.

The work required to build the 26-man roster for Opening Day is a long way from completion. The surface hasn’t even been scratched.

At least one starter and reliever, a right-handed bat – likely for the outfield – and a backup catcher bring boxes that still need checking. The Orioles are on the clock but the ticking isn’t really that loud. Plenty of time remains to finish shopping before camp opens in mid-February. Plenty of names remain on the board who could fill specific needs of the club, and there are also trade talks that might produce upgrades.

This is the point in the offseason when I’m reminded of the gaps in the roster. A national publication is asking for a projected lineup, rotation, bullpen and bench. The list will be outdated in a few months, but that isn’t my problem.

The issue is coming up with 26 names.

Starting with the rotation, an Opening Day in December could line up Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich, with the first two vying for the March 27 game in Toronto. Albert Suárez is a possibility, of course.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• RHP Thaddeus Ward has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 37 players.

The Orioles have hired a new manager at Triple-A Norfolk.

Tim Federowicz will be the replacement for Buck Britton, who joined the Orioles’ staff as major league coach. He managed the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in the Tigers’ system this summer.

Federowicz, 37, served as the Tigers’ catching coach in 2023 after managing the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in the Mariners’ system the previous year. He retired as a player in December 2021.

The Red Sox drafted Federowicz in the seventh round in 2008 out of the University of North Carolina. He caught for six teams over parts of eight major league seasons, the first four with the Dodgers.

Orioles ties would develop later.

We got more evidence last night that while the Orioles are very aware that their offense fell off big late last season, they still see an overall good offense and one that does not need a major change or overhaul.

We are talking about individuals working to make their own improvements, helping the team improve.

A Baltimore offense that ranked fourth in the majors in 2024 scoring 4.85 runs per game is not going to undergo massive alterations.

On the first edition for this winter of the Orioles “Hot Stove Radio Show” last night on WBAL Radio in Baltimore, O’s hitting coach Cody Asche was a guest.

He knows the offense was part of the blame for the team going 26-27 from Aug. 1 on. The Orioles scored one run in two playoff games.

It has been a somewhat slow Hot Stove season thus far in terms of signings. But the stove may be really about to get hot.

The biggest free agent prize – outfielder Juan Soto – may be close to signing and it could happen during the Winter Meetings that begin on Monday. He has been the most talked about player this offseason and that will hold up until he signs.

Will the dam burst after that?

This is what many in the industry seem to believe. Once Soto is off the market, teams may pivot to outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández and really kick off the pursuit of position players. Big dollar teams that miss out on Soto, could move back to the high-end starting pitcher market chasing the likes of Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.

Where does this leave the Orioles?

Among the many questions to land in the recent mailbag was one that I put aside to give it a little more thought and provide a more expansive response.

Who will get more starts in center field next season, Cedric Mullins or Colton Cowser?

The immediate response is Mullins because he’s exclusively a center fielder and Cowser is first in line for left. Mullins made 121 starts in the middle this year and Cowser made 36 in center, 91 in left and six in right.

That’s advantage Mullins. It should be sustained next season.

I’d still expect Mullins to be the primary center fielder in 2025 after the Orioles tendered him a contract, with MLBTradeRumors.com projecting his salary at $8.7 million. He is a year away from free agency, with 2023 first-round draft pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. waiting in the wings after climbing to Double-A over the summer.

With Grayson Rodriguez returning next year after what turned out to be a season-ending injury in 2024 and with Corbin Burnes possibly leaving via free agency, the one man standing alone atop the Baltimore rotation right now is 30-year-old right-hander Zach Eflin, a veteran of nine seasons with three teams who has made 174 career starts.

Eflin, under contract next year for $18 million, is easily the O’s current highest-paid player. That could change but right now he’s No. 1.

The O’s picked up that tab for next season on July 26 last summer when they completed the trade with Tampa Bay to acquire Eflin and gave up three top 30 prospects in Jackson Baumeister, and position players Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel.

In 28 starts between the Rays and Orioles in 2024, he went 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA over 165 1/3 innings. He had a 1.149 WHIP allowing just 1.3 walks per nine with 7.3 strikeouts. His 3.5 percent walk rate ranked in the top two percent of MLB.

Eflin sure showed his strong command and control during his first eight of nine regular season starts for the Orioles, allowing no walks or one. He then walked five in 4 2/3 in his last regular season outing versus the Yankees.

The Orioles today announced that individual tickets for all Spring Training games at Ed Smith Stadium will go on sale Monday, December 9, at 12 p.m. ET. The club also announced its Spring Training promotional schedule.

Beginning Monday, fans can purchase individual tickets for all 2025 Spring Training games at Ed Smith Stadium. Birdland Members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets as part of an exclusive pre-sale on Thursday, December 5. Fans who register for the Sarasota 365 newsletter will also have access to a pre-sale on Monday, December 9 at 10 a.m. Single game tickets can be purchased online at Orioles.com/SpringTickets. The Ed Smith Stadium Box Office will be open for in-person sales beginning Tuesday, January 21 at 10 a.m. and will remain open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for all of Spring Training.

The 2025 Spring Training promotional schedule features giveaways and experiences for fans of all ages. Again this year, the Orioles will invite children and seniors to run the bases after select home games. Kids Run the Bases, presented by The Out-of-Door Academy, is open to all fans ages four to 14 following every Sunday home game, while Seniors Stroll the Bases, presented by Sunways Senior Living Concierge, will return following Monday and Wednesday home games for fans ages 60 and older.

The promotional schedule is also highlighted by special event days and giveaways. Fans can enjoy Heroes Day (February 25) presented by Cheney Brothers, Family Weekend (March 8-9), Youth Sports Day (March 9) presented by First Watch, and Fireworks Night (March 21). They can also receive various giveaways throughout the spring season, including a Magnet Schedule (February 22) presented by Tommy’s Express Car Wash, a Plush Cow (March 1) presented by Chick-fil-A, an Orioles Rally Towel (March 8), and a Spring Training Gunnar Henderson T-shirt (March 14).

As part of the first ever Family Weekend, fans will have the opportunity to purchase a Family Weekend ticket package. The offer, which provides a 25 percent savings, starts at $20 per ticket and can be used to purchase anywhere from three to eight tickets. Family Weekend will have something fun for all ages, including meet and greets with the Oriole Bird. Fans can purchase ticket packages and find additional details at Orioles.com/SpringFamilyWeekend.

It is a slow trend down in baseball. It is pitcher strikeout rates per every nine innings. In the shortened 2020 season, pitchers in MLB averaged 9.1 strikeout per every nine innings. The year after the mark was 8.9. Last season it was down to 8.6 per nine.

It is nothing too significant at this point and there is still plenty of swing and miss in the game. But at some point, contact skills and players that don’t strike out that much may be valued again.

Ironically it was a pitcher somewhat known for strikeouts that brought this trend to my attention. It was right-hander Corbin Burnes during an interview this year in May. Burnes began the 2024 season pitching Opening Day for the Orioles and he fanned 11 Los Angeles Angels in a dominant outing. But over his next eight starts he never fanned more than six in a game. On May 13 at home versus Toronto, Burnes fanned just two batters. 

It was a day or two after that start that I asked Burnes about the Toronto hitters’ approach that night and I asked him where all his strikeouts had gone?

“We are seeing a different approach against me,” Burnes said during that interview. “It was easy to see what that Blue Jays lineup approach was - if they got to two strikes, they were doing all that they can to put the ball in play. I think that is kind of how the game is changing. You are seeing lineups change to more of a contact approach. Things tend to happen more when the ball is put in play.

The Orioles' 40-man roster went untouched again yesterday. The transactions page didn't require updating. 

At least one starting pitcher, at least one reliever, a right-handed hitting outfielder and a backup catcher are on the much-publicized shopping list. There are only so many ways to present it. And an item or two could be crossed off at next week's Winter Meetings in Dallas. 

The following question won't dictate how executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias proceeds, but it's worth asking.

Can Tyler Wells be available for the bulk of the second half?

Wells underwent his elbow surgery on June 17, a little more than two weeks after the club confirmed his status. Elias provided updates on Wells and John Means on May 31. Means had his surgery three days later, but Wells took longer.

For Orioles lefty pitcher Trevor Rogers, things were moving fast. Spiraling on him a bit. On July 30 he was traded from Miami to the Orioles, who gave up Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to get him. Less than a month later – after four mostly ineffective starts for his new club – he was sent to Triple-A.

This was not going the right direction.

He had pitched to an ERA of 3.17 in his last nine Miami starts before the trade but had an ERA of 7.11 in four O’s outings.

A National League All-Star as a rookie in 2021, a season that ended with his second-place Rookie of the Year finish, he could not get it done for his new club. Not only would he not help Baltimore get back to the postseason, now he was going back to the minors.

But on his way out of Baltimore, where he had a WHIP of 1.842 in four games, he had a conversation that was encouraging.