Out-of-nowhere bullpen contributors are nothing new for the Orioles, from all-star closer Felix Bautista to surprising setup men Yennier Cano and Cionel Perez.

A pair of under-the-radar relief prospects added at the 2025 trade deadline might be next: righthanders Anthony Nunez and Cameron Foster.

The pair arrived in a pair of trades with the Mets—Nunez in the deal for Cedric Mullins and Foster for Gregory Soto—and were added to the 40-man roster in the fall. Each has a chance to make Baltimore’s new-look bullpen out of spring training. 

“They both threw great for us after the trade deadline,” Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said. “We’re excited about them.”

Nunez, a 24-year-old converted infielder, pitched across three levels between the two organizations and finished at Triple-A with an aggregate strikeout rate near 38%. He pitched to a 2.06 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 56.2 innings, dominating with a pair of upper-90s fastballs and a broad arsenal led by potential plus secondaries in his kick changeup and sweeper. 

Nunez boasts a unique story, having been drafted as an infielder by the Padres out of high school in 2019. After being released in 2021, he was eligible to attend Division II Tampa, where he hit for two years, then helped the club win a D-II national championship in 2024 as he started to work as a pitcher as well. 

Now a pitcher, Nunez impresses the Orioles with his ability to miss bats, his fastball command profile and the upside as he continues to learn on the mound. He finished 2025 as the closer at Triple-A Norfolk.

Foster will be 27 this season after spending most of 2025 dominating the Eastern League before the trade. He had a 3.38 ERA with a 33% strikeout rate and a 1.38 WHIP at Triple-A post-trade. His mid-90s four-seamer and high-80s cutter headline a bat-missing arsenal.

BIRD SEED

— The Orioles’ bullpen hierarchy is up in the air behind the top two bullpen arms. Free agent signee Ryan Helsley projects to be the closer, while veteran Andrew Kittredge, re-acquired via trade after the team dealt him to the Cubs at the deadline, is another veteran option. Beyond those two, nothing is set in stone.