The Orioles traded Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs at the trade deadline last July. Baltimore received a 17-year-old shortstop prospect, and Chicago gained a veteran reliever with a club option for 2026. The Cubs could have kept Kittredge around for the upcoming season, but Baltimore wanted him back. The Orioles reacquired the 35-year-old by sending cash considerations to Chicago last month.
The front office created a need when they dealt nearly all of their late-inning relievers last year. The Birds signed Ryan Helsley to offset an injury to Félix Bautista, but they turned to a familiar face to fill another spot in the bullpen. Mike Elias liked Kittredge enough to sign him prior to the 2025 season, and he still liked Kittredge after seeing a 2.40 FIP and 0.831 WHIP down the stretch.
The Orioles still need pitching, but I’m not suggesting they attempt to re-acquire Bryan Baker and Grayson Rodriguez. I do think the Kittredge deal shows that the front office is open to reunions if the price is right.
The Orioles acquired Zach Eflin for the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2024. The righty exceeded expectations with a 5-2 record, 2.60 ERA and 149 ERA+ over nine starts down the stretch. Eflin’s dominance, paired with the loss of free agent Corbin Burnes, made Eflin the clear choice as Baltimore’s Opening Day starter in 2025.
Eflin, like several of his peers, struggled to stay healthy last year. The Orioles placed Eflin on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain on April 9. He returned a month later but struggled to find his groove. Baltimore found itself in a free fall by mid-May, and Eflin failed to provide the stabilizing presence that a team hopes for from its Opening Day starter.
Eflin’s struggles marked only one chapter in a disappointing 2025 story. He hit the IL again on June 30 with lower back discomfort. As a pending free agent, Eflin could have been one of Baltimore’s best trade chips. Unfortunately, injuries prevented the Birds from flipping the starter for any value. He made two appearances toward the end of July but returned to the IL once again at the end of the month.
Eflin eventually underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy in August. The procedure came with a four-to-eight month recovery ETA which likely ended his tenure in a Baltimore uniform. That is, of course, unless the Orioles bring the 10-year veteran back.
The Orioles need to bring in at least one frontline starting pitcher. Eflin, despite taking the ball on Opening Day last year, doesn’t quite fit the mold. The Orioles should pursue top-tier free agent starters like Framber Valdez, but that doesn’t eliminate Baltimore from taking another chance on Eflin.
It’s unclear exactly when Eflin will be healthy enough to start games next season, but one thing is almost certain—Orioles starting pitchers will get hurt again in 2026. The team needs more than five big-league starting pitchers to make it through a season. If needed, the Orioles could stash Eflin on the injured list to begin the year and bring the veteran back to Camden Yards when he’s ready.
Eflin pitched like a frontline starter in 2024 before falling short last year. Fortunately, the Orioles wouldn’t ask the 31-year-old to play that part this season. Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, and another free agent could occupy the top spots while guys like Eflin, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer fill out the rotation.
Eflin would carry some level of uncertainty after undergoing back surgery, but let’s not confuse him with Grayson Rodriguez. Eflin eclipsed 165 innings in 2023 and 2024 before a snake-bitten 2025. He would face slightly less pressure to perform from the middle of the rotation, and teams could do a lot worse than a healthy Eflin as their number three or four starter.
MLB Trade Rumors ranked Eflin as an Honorable Mention in their Top 50 Free Agents for 2026. Eflin will likely wait to sign until he can provide teams a more clear recovery ETA. That being said, he shouldn’t command anything close to the salary as a guy like Valdez or Ranger Suarez. The Orioles have the funds under David Rubenstein to pounce on Eflin whenever the time is right.
At only 31, Eflin should have plenty of baseball left in his right arm. A reunion with Eflin would carry much more weight than a panic signing of Kyle Gibson, and Eflin represents a much stronger bet than elder arms like Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander.
Mike Elias has made a knack for acquiring unheralded players and generating modest returns. Signing a guy like Eflin would take the buy-low approach to another level. Eflin will still command a decent pay day with the potential for a multi-year deal, but a healthy Eflin would likely outperform any contract that he receives this offseason. Eflin may not move the needle like some of the biggest free agents right now, but it’s easy to picture the veteran starting a postseason game in 2026.