Having a strong bullpen in the MLB doesn’t just give you an advantage over other teams, but it could make you into a legitimate title contender.
We’ve seen how crucial it is to have elite high leverage arms in the back of the bullpen. Teams like the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies have all seen their postseason runs get cut short due to lackluster bullpens.
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For the Baltimore Orioles, their 2025 season was a complete disaster, as they finished the season fifth in the AL East with a 75-87 record. A large part of their failure was attributed to their weak bullpen that ranked 24th in the entire league in ERA with a 4.57, and 28th in WHIP at 1.42.
Baltimore Orioles Reliever Yennier Cano (78) | © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
If Baltimore wants to have any sort of success in 2026, they NEED to add one or two more high leverage relievers, especially after shaking up their bullpen recently.
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On February 8, 2026, the Baltimore Orioles traded away a promising reliever in Kade Strowd, for utility man Blaze Alexander from the Arizona Diamondbacks; a move that left Baltimore fans’ brains scrambled.
Strowd was one of the very few promising players from the 2025 season, as his 1.71 ERA in 26.1 innings ranked first on the team.
Now that Baltimore traded away Strowd, do they have a backup plan?
President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias did a good job signing a high leverage reliever earlier in the offseason with Ryan Helsley, but has yet to add another arm.
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There are still numerous relief pitchers available on the open market, but these options lack firepower that could elevate a bullpen.
Players such as Edwin Diaz, Pete Fairbanks, Robert Suarez, and Devin Williams all signed with other clubs, leaving Baltimore stuck with some bottom of the barrel options.
Some available arms consist of Evan Phillips, Justin Wilson, Andrew Chafin, Jalen Beeks and former Oriole Danny Coulombe.
Baltimore could elect to reunite with Coulombe, who dazzled in his tenure here with a 2.56 ERA over 81.0 innings of work. The concern with Coulombe is his age, as he is 36 years-old and could start to regress at any given moment.
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Baltimore could also look at the trade market, with a possible suitor being St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jojo Romero.
Romero (29), is one of the better southpaw relievers in the league, as his 2.07 ERA over 65 appearances last season confirms that.
Romero’s price tag wouldn’t necessarily break the farm for Baltimore, as he is set to be a free agent following the 2026 season. Additionally, St. Louis has had a mini fire sale this off-season, trading players such as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan. Could Romero be next?
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Baltimore has options, but time is running out for them to solidify their bullpen. Coulombe and Romero would be two fantastic additions for Baltimore, but they have to act quick if they want to acquire these arms.