Good morning, Camden Chatters.
There are just nine days until it’s 2026, but we have a much longer wait until there’s actual baseball. Spring training games begin Feb. 20 and Opening Day is on March 26, more than three months away. Plenty of offseason remains until then, and only half of MLB’s top 50 free agents have signed with a team so far.
With that said, I’m bored, so let’s take a way-too-early look at a projected Opening Day Orioles roster based on the additions they’ve made so far — and where they still have some holes they need to fill.
The starting rotation as it stands now would likely line up as Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer, and Tyler Wells. That’s potentially a strong top three, and Kremer and Wells are both capable back-end starters. But the Orioles shouldn’t be content to stop there, and it doesn’t seem they are. They still figure to aggressively pursue one of the big three remaining starters — Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, or Tatsuya Imai — which would bump everyone else down a slot and Wells to the bullpen. Adding one of those top arms could be the difference between a solid O’s rotation and a possible division-winning one.
The Opening Day bullpen is harder to project, beyond new closer Ryan Helsley, reacquired setup man Andrew Kittredge, and veteran lefty Keegan Akin. I’d probably pencil in Dietrich Enns, Rico Garcia, and Kade Strowd based on their small-sample-size performances in 2025, but I wouldn’t consider any of them a lock. Maybe there’s a spot for someone like Grant Wolfram or Colin Selby, and Yennier Cano is still hanging around despite a rocky 2025. Cade Povich, Brandon Young, or Albert Suárez could be long relief options. Again, this unit seems like it’s missing one reliable veteran arm, so the O’s could be kicking the tires on some free agent relievers.
Meanwhile, the position-player group seems almost too full at the moment, with so many viable candidates that it will be hard to whittle down to a 13-man Opening Day crew. The starting infield is locked in with Pete Alonso, Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Jordan Westburg. There are plenty of outfielders, too — Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, and Leody Taveras — though none besides Taveras is a natural center fielder. As of now it seems that Cowser will get the CF job by default, with Ward in left and O’Neill and Beavers battling for playing time in right.
Adley Rutschman figures to get the bulk of the catching duties, with Samuel Basallo backing him up while also making starts as the designated hitter. The remaining three spots are harder to figure. Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo are both worthy of being on a major league roster somewhere, but it’s hard to see how two right-handed 1B/DHs can co-exist in Baltimore, especially with another right-handed 1B/DH, Alonso, likely to play every day. And who is the backup infielder in this scenario? Jeremiah Jackson flashed a solid bat in his rookie season but didn’t particularly impress with the leather. Mike Elias is going to have to make some moves to alleviate the glut of redundant players while addressing the utility infield bench spot.
So, no, the Orioles aren’t quite a finished product yet, despite how many intriguing additions they’ve already made this offseason. Based on their aggressiveness so far, it’s a good bet that the Birds will fill most of these holes by the time the season rolls around in March.
Elias says the Oriole aren’t done shopping – BaltimoreBaseball.com
See? What did I just tell you?
Dylan Beavers made a big leap in his prospect status in 2025. Here’s how.
Bradfield has big league dreams as he approaches key camp with O’s – MLB.com
If Bradfield can take a Beavers-like step forward as a prospect this year, I’d appreciate that very much.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only player in O’s history born on Dec. 23 was the late outfielder Dave May (b. 1943, d. 2012), who spent the first four seasons of his MLB career with the Birds from 1967-70. His son, Derrick, later played for the O’s in 1999.
On this date in 1980, the Orioles signed veteran outfielder Jim Dwyer as a free agent. The man nicknamed “Pig Pen” spent the next eight seasons contributing as a bench bat with the Birds, including a home run in the 1983 World Series.
In 1995, the O’s brought Billy Ripken back to Baltimore as a free agent. Billy had spent the first six years of his career with the Birds from 1987-92, starting alongside his big brother, Cal Jr., and was managed during that 1987 season by their dad, Cal Sr. Billy then spent a couple of years with the Rangers and one with Cleveland before rejoining the Orioles.
And on this date in 2013, the Orioles claimed right-hander Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Cubs. The Australia native was a well-traveled, ineffective starting pitcher at the time, and he didn’t even make it to spring training with the O’s before they too lost him on waivers. Too bad, as he went on to become a three-time All-Star closer.