Baseball’s general manager meetings begin today in Las Vegas. The Orioles did some heavy roster shuffling last week to keep it at a full 40. Perhaps they can make the kind of progress this week that leads to other moves.

Pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez became free agents, and none of them are expected to return. Eflin’s back surgery diminished his chances but didn’t completely eliminate. He could stay on the market while teams monitor his recovery from back surgery.

Pitchers Félix Bautista, Grayson Rodriguez and Brandon Young were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. It’s a temporary reprieve for Bautista.

The bullpen added Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Cubs. I’m old enough to remember when it was the other way around.

The Orioles picked up the $9 million option and also could be responsible, per Cot’s Contracts, for performance bonuses for appearances and games finished, and award bonuses that include Reliever of the Year, World Series Most Valuable Player, All-Star selection and Gold Glove.

The Orioles aren’t focused only on their bullpen as the offseason has moved into a new month.

Outfield depth also must be addressed.

The team reached agreement last night with veteran Leody Taveras on a one-year contract pending the results of a physical. The deal pays $2 million, according to Spotrac.

Taveras, 27, is a switch-hitter who made $4.750 million this year while batting .205/.226/.304 in a combined 58 games between the Rangers and Mariners. Seattle selected him on waivers May 6 and designated him for assignment a month later. He became a free agent in October.

Taveras made his major league debut with the Rangers in 2020 and batted .240/.291/.370 in parts of six seasons. He appeared in 151 games in 2024 and stole 23 bases in 29 attempts. He hit a career-high 14 home runs with 67 RBIs in 143 games in 2023.

The Orioles wouldn’t budge.

Talks with the Padres leading to the trade deadline took multiple shapes. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano could be dealt separately or packaged. Different prospects were discussed. The whole thing would have fallen apart if the Guardians accepted an offer for Steven Kwan.

To make it work for the Orioles, they had to get left-hander Boston Bateman. He was the potential deal-breaker.

I’ve heard that the Padres were reluctant to part with him. They tried other combinations to avoid losing their No. 4 prospect. The Orioles had to include Laureano, whose contract contains a $6.5 million option for next season. And they had to stay patient and stick to their demand.

The six minor leaguers who came to the Orioles are products of the 2024 draft – Bateman in the second round, infielder Cobb Hightower in the third, pitcher Tyson Neighbors in the fourth, shortstop Brandon Butterworth in the 12^th, pitcher Tanner Smith in the 15^th, and first baseman Victor Figueroa in the 18^th.