The hope was that the Baltimore Orioles would have a new starting pitcher by the time Mike Elias addressed reporters at the start of spring training. It would have offered Elias some grace, pointing to the addition instead of being forced to answer questions about why the roster feels incomplete. Nonetheless, there was no move, and when Elias was asked about the team’s need for a frontline starting pitcher, he tried to pull a fast one on fans.
The Orioles’ president of baseball operations said it wouldn’t be a disappointment if the Orioles walked away from the offseason without another addition to the starting rotation. Elias didn’t just say he wouldn’t be disappointed; he said the Baltimore actually has a strong starting rotation.
Orioles fans aren’t buying Mike Elias’ latest bold-faced lie
To give Elias a small (very tiny) piece of credit, the Orioles’ rotation has the potential to be good. Assuming health, Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish are an effective combination at the top, and Shane Baz is an encouraging upside play. Things take a turn after Baz, considering Dean Kramer and Zach Eflin leave a lot to be desired at the backend.
But, Elias’ own action would suggest that even he doesn’t believe what he is currently saying. Last month, the Orioles were reportedly making a push to sign Ranger Suarez before the Boston Red Sox handed him $130 million. That’s not a pursuit made by someone who thinks he constructed a strong starting rotation.
Perhaps Baz reaches his ceiling, and talk of the Orioles needing a frontline starting pitcher becomes an afterthought. The problem with that is Elias shouldn’t be in a position to point to Baz’s ceiling as the reason why the rotation is strong.
Bookmarking every stupid quote from Mike Elias so I can revisit every single one of them when the wheels fall off of the pitching staff, AGAIN. https://t.co/cHHLZRRr4n
— Tyler Burke (@Run_TMB) February 10, 2026
If there is an injury to one of Rogers, Bradish, or Baz, the Orioles’ rotation looks dramatically different. It’s why the Detroit Tigers’ signing both Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander struck a nerve. The Tigers aren’t leaving the durability of their rotation up to chance, something Elias has done with the Orioles time and time again.
If nothing else, it feels like Elias has just provided the receipt that will be taken out if things go off the rails in 2026. The biggest issue with Elias’ tenure is that Baltimore is overly confident in his roster construction.
There’s no doubt that the roster is better than the one the Orioles had at the end of the 2025 season, but the rotation isn’t as strong as Elias wants you to believe. It could be the undoing of this team, and ultimately, the reason why Elias is out of a job next offseason.