ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orioles are putting their money where their mouth is this offseason.
Expected to be among the most aggressive teams in baseball this winter, Baltimore continues to be in the mix for top free agents on the market, even if that hasn’t resulted in a big deal -- yet.
According to a report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the O’s offered slugger Kyle Schwarber a five-year, $150 million contract before he agreed to a deal featuring the same terms to return to the Phillies on Tuesday. So although Baltimore couldn’t land the 32-year-old, it appears to have been one of the front-runners for the powerful designated hitter.
The Orioles have been targeting a lot more free agents than Schwarber, though.
A source confirmed to MLB.com on Monday that the O’s are among the teams that will meet with first baseman Pete Alonso when he comes to the Winter Meetings in Orlando this week. MLB Network’s Jon Paul Morosi also reported that the Orioles have talked to members of outfielder Kyle Tucker’s camp.
Baltimore has also been linked to top free-agent pitchers such as Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Michael King in reports. Morosi reported that the O’s met with Valdez during the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas last month.
Coming off a 75-87 season and a last-place finish in the American League East, the Orioles are clearly trying to make multiple big splashes in hopes of a quick turnaround in 2026. Their next moves could be much bigger than the ones they’ve made thus far (trades for outfielder Taylor Ward and reliever Andrew Kittredge and signings of closer Ryan Helsley and outfielder Leody Taveras).
Here are three thoughts on the most recent Orioles buzz.
1. The reported offer to Schwarber is a good sign
No, the O’s did not convince Schwarber to leave Philadelphia. That may have been a tough task, though, considering it has felt like a reunion between the slugger and the Phillies was likely going to happen since early in the offseason.
But the Orioles seemingly offered a contract that would have marked the biggest deal struck by president of baseball operations Mike Elias since he arrived in Baltimore in November 2018.
There’s been a lot of talk of Baltimore “expressing interest” or being “in on” plenty of marquee free agents the past few offseasons. It was unsuccessful in its attempt to bring back ace Corbin Burnes last winter, though a source told MLB.com earlier this year that the Orioles made a four-year, $180 million offer to the right-hander before he signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the D-backs.
This time around feels a bit different, especially now that these lofty numbers are out there to back up Elias’ comments on ownership support and payroll flexibility. The O’s are still going to operate diligently. But they appear much likelier to make considerable noise than at any previous point in his tenure.
2. The positions of free-agent hitters may not actually matter
This was the most interesting comment made by Elias at the Winter Meetings on Monday:
“We’re talking to a whole bunch of hitters, and we just view it as, ‘Do they improve the team? Do they improve the roster? Do they raise the ceiling of the team? Do they have an impact?’ If the player’s good enough, we can figure out ways to accommodate them.”
That appears to be true. The Orioles don’t need a set DH, especially with Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo likely to fill the slot quite often -- yet they went for Schwarber. They don’t need a right-handed-hitting first baseman with both Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo already on the roster -- yet they’re meeting with Alonso.
Baltimore’s outfield mix is already crowded -- yet it’s now being linked to Tucker as well.
With the O’s wanting top-tier hitters to upgrade the offense, their plan appears to be to sign a big slugger and then figure out the roster construction later. It could be a wise approach, especially if somebody like Alonso or Tucker ends up in Baltimore because of it.
3. The starting-pitching pursuit isn’t being pushed to the backburner
It may feel like the Orioles’ biggest glaring need has been pushed aside because they’re getting linked to so many hitters this week. That’s not the case.
Baltimore is still trying to acquire a frontline starter via a free-agent signing or trade. It wants a top-of-the-rotation arm to group with Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers, and it could bring in multiple arms for additional depth.
If the Orioles are as willing to expand payroll as much as they’re saying, their starting-pitching pursuit shouldn’t be impacted by their potential signing of a top hitter. They could fit two large contracts onto a roster that doesn’t feature many long-term commitments.
A notable starting-pitching addition is coming, even if it doesn’t happen before the conclusion of the Winter Meetings or doesn’t end up being the next move made by the O’s.