This story was excerpted from Jake Rill's Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
BALTIMORE -- The Orioles accomplished the first item on their offseason to-do list on Monday, when they announced the hiring of Craig Albernaz as their new manager.
Albernaz, who previously served as the Guardians’ associate manager and spent two seasons on Cleveland’s staff, will be tasked with trying to lead Baltimore to a bounce-back year in 2026. Coming off a disappointing 75-win campaign, the O’s are motivated to make that happen, but they’ll need to have a productive offseason and fill the holes on their roster.
Here’s everything to know about Baltimore’s offseason.
Which players are free agents?
Right-hander Zach Eflin, catcher Gary Sánchez and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
Are any of them likely to receive a qualifying offer, and what is the deadline for that?
None of Baltimore’s free agents are likely to receive the $22.025 million qualifying offer ahead of the Nov. 18 deadline. Eflin and Sugano are candidates to re-sign and return as rotation depth.
Which players have an option, what’s the dollar figure and impact on payroll and when does it need to be decided upon?
Infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo has a $5.5 million team option and left-hander Dietrich Enns has a $3 million team option. The deadline is five days after the conclusion of the World Series.
It feels unlikely the Orioles would pay that much to Mateo, who has been limited to 110 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and has struggled to perform offensively. The decision on Enns could go either way, as the club needs as much pitching depth as possible and the 34-year-old had success as a multi-inning reliever during the second half of 2025.
Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?
The deadline to tender a contract to players under club control next season is Nov. 21. Those who are non-tendered immediately become free agents.
Ryan Mountcastle could be a non-tender candidate, should the O’s be unsuccessful in attempting to trade the 28-year-old first baseman. He is likely to get squeezed out of the mix at first, where right-handed-hitting Coby Mayo and lefty-hitting primary catcher Samuel Basallo (Baltimore’s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall) could operate as a platoon.
Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a crunch for roster spots?
No prospects on the Orioles’ Top 30 Prospects list are eligible to be taken in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, which is set for Dec. 10, the final day of the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
Among the more notable O’s Minor Leaguers who would need to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected are: catcher Creed Willems, outfielder Jud Fabian and right-handers Cameron Weston, Trace Bright, Anthony Nunez, Keagan Gillies, Carlos Tavera and Juan Nuñez (who was taken by the Padres in last year’s Rule 5 Draft before getting returned).
The deadline to protect Rule 5-eligible players is Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. ET.
Baltimore will likely want to protect some of those Minor Leaguers, but its 40-man roster will become full once players who ended the season on the 60-day injured list are re-added following the conclusion of the World Series. So there will be some tough decisions to make.
What kind of help do they need, and will they be active in free agency? Who might they target?
The Orioles need at least one more frontline starting pitcher, multiple high-leverage relievers (including a fill-in closer) and a veteran hitter, preferably one who bats right-handed and can play center field. The team should be fairly active in free agency to fill these holes.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish and lefty Trevor Rogers will anchor Baltimore’s staff, but a third top-of-the-rotation arm feels necessary. Lefties Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez and righties Michael King, Dylan Cease and Zac Gallen will be among the best on the market.
O’s closer Félix Bautista will miss most (and potentially all) of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn right rotator cuff and a torn labrum. Perhaps Baltimore could pursue either Edwin Díaz or Robert Suarez, assuming both opt out of their deals with the Mets and Padres, respectively. Devin Williams will also be among the top free-agent relievers.
Harrison Bader could be a fit for the Orioles as a right-handed hitter who has spent the majority of his nine-year MLB career in center field.
Who might they be willing to trade?
Mountcastle is a prime trade chip, considering the emergence of Mayo and Basallo as options at first base. Although Mountcastle’s power has continued to dip, he can be an impactful hitter when healthy while also serving as a plus defender.
The O’s could dip into their farm system -- which became much deeper in July via the MLB Draft and the club’s Trade Deadline selloff -- and deal prospects to acquire MLB-ready players.