The first question many asked after the Orioles sold at the trade deadline was “how did this happen?” The second question, after fans navigated the stages of grief, was “who the heck is going to pitch in relief?”
The Orioles sent Bryan Baker to the Rays for a competitive balance pick. They traded Gregory Soto to the Mets for Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Baltimore dealt Seranthony Domínguez to Blue Jays for Juaron Watts-Brown, and the O’s shipped Andrew Kittredge to Cubs for Wilfri De La Cruz.
Baltimore placed closer Félix Bautista on the injured list a week before the deadline, and he eventually underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum. The procedure came with a projected 12 month recovery period with very little guaranteed.
The flurry of moves left Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano as the only known commodities in the bullpen. Baltimore could have kept Kittredge and picked up his option for 2026, but Mike Elias couldn’t pass up a 17-year-0ld shortstop from the Cubs organization.
Akin and Cano likely survived the deadline because no team felt compelled to acquire them. Akin missed almost all of July with shoulder inflammation, and Cano pitched to a 6.94 ERA and 1.629 WHIP over 12 games that month.
The two were thrust into the highest leverage situations Baltimore had to offer, and neither pitcher found a way to take advantage. Akin allowed a walk-off homer on August 2, blew a save on August 10, blew another chance on August 13, took the loss on August 16, and blew one more save opportunity on August 27. He entered last night’s game with a 3.86 ERA over 23 second-half appearances. The numbers are fine for a lefty longman in the bullpen, but Akin failed to fit in as a closer.
Cano, on the other hand, has struggled all season. He began the week with a 3-7 record and a 5.01 ERA over 63 games. He found some brief success toward the end of August with a new changeup grip, but the former All-Star does not look like a dependable option late in games.
The Orioles have benefited from a few courageous performances from unheralded relievers. Kade Strowd, a 12th-round pick from 2019, entered the week with a 1.80 ERA over 23 games. The Orioles added Strowd to the 40-man roster before the season, and the 28-year-old has positioned himself as a front runner for a bullpen spot in 2026.
Dietrich Enns earned the respect of Tony Mansolino as a baseball veteran capable of delivering multiple innings. Enns stepped up and filled a need for the Orioles, but he shouldn’t be considered a primary option for a competitive team. Enns profiles as a poor-man’s Albert Suárez, and he’s best categorized as organization depth if the Birds keep him around. Suárez will carry durability concerns into next year after missing a majority of the season.
Rico Garcia holds a 2.70 ERA over 18 strong appearances for the Birds. Garcia laid an egg in one appearance for the Yankees earlier this year, but the 31-year-old deserves praise for some gusty performances in black and orange. The Honolulu native could find his way back to the bullpen next season, but he’s hardly a sure thing heading into 2026.
Chayce McDermott made the inevitable transition to the bullpen after failing to blossom in a starting role, but the once highly-rated prospect struggled in big league action before ending the season on the IL. Grant Wolfram turned some heads for a second, and Colin Selby just returned after missing almost two months with a hamstring strain.
With respect to the aforementioned arms, Akin and Cano’s struggles—paired with the deadline deals—have left the Orioles without a healthy high-leverage reliever under contract. The Orioles obviously need to bolster the bullpen in free agency, but how many relievers can they actually add in one offseason?
The starting rotation needs help too. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells appear positioned to help Most Valuable Oriole Trevor Rogers lead the rotation next season. Dean Kremer remains a respectable option as the fifth reliever, but Cade Povich could have shown the O’s more in 2025. Grayson Rodriguez did not pitch this season. He holds ace-like stuff, but the Birds would be foolish to count him as a stable option right now.
A healthy Rodriguez, paired with a pair of free agent starters, could push any combination of Kremer, Povich and Wells to the bullpen. Brandon Young appears better suited for the bullpen’pen moving forward, and the Triple-A roster contains several talented pitchers that could receive a shot in the rotation or relief at some point next season.
The Orioles bullpen would be much better positioned if Cano and Akin looked like dependable options moving forward. The team definitely needs to acquire multiple high-leverage relievers this offseason, but how many internal options the team will deploy next season remains to be seen.