Orioles need starting pitching, but what moves will Elias be willing to make?

The 2026 season is a critical one for the Orioles, and they’re counting on a new manager, Craig Albernaz, to make them contenders again after a major decline in 2025.

Albernaz will carry those expectations into his first season as a manager. His mentor, Stephen Vogt, had just one season of major league coaching experience after a long playing career and led the Cleveland Guardians to the American League Championship Series in his first season. Albernaz served as his bench coach.

Vogt was voted the American League’s Manager of the Year for the second consecutive season. Albernaz will try to prevent that from happening for a third time.

The Orioles are expected to make major moves over the offseason, but unless their young core — Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser — improve, it’s unlikely they’ll return to the postseason.

Attendance was down 21 percent in 2025, and despite a new scoreboard and an improved sound system, fans won’t return unless the product on the field is better.

So far, president of baseball operations Mike Elias, who’s attending the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, has made minor additions, though he did reacquire right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Chicago Cubs, a good first step toward shoring up the bullpen.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale thinks the Orioles will be active this winter. “They can’t afford to miss the postseason again or GM Mike Elias’ job is on the line. They have to bring in a front-line starter,” Nightengale wrote on Monday.

There are plenty of front-line starters available on the free-agent market — San Diego’s Dylan Cease, Houston’s Framber Valdez and Philadelphia’s Ranger Suárez fit that description.

MLBTradeRumors.com estimates their cost as seven years, $189 million for Cease; five years, $150 million for Valdez; and five years, $115 million for Suárez.

Other starters — San Diego’s Michael King and Arizona’s Zac Gallen, four years, $80 million; and Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff, three years, $66 million — fall short of the front-line description.

The Orioles need two additional starters to bolster the rotation, which presumably includes Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer.

Perhaps they could sign a free-agent starter and trade for another. Elias has never signed a top-tier free-agent starter, though he did trade for one just before spring training began in 2024.

Corbin Burnes did his job, and left in free agency.

At the time, the Orioles had lots of infield depth and were able to send left-handed pitcher DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to the Brewers for Burnes.

Fans are always suggesting trades, and some think the Orioles ought to acquire Minnesota right-handers Joe Ryan or Pablo López. Another popular name is Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore.

What would it take to get Ryan, López or Gore?

The Orioles wouldn’t consider trading Samuel Basallo, their 21-year-old catcher/first baseman, who signed an eight-year, $67 million contract in August. He’s their most prized prospect.

Right after the trade deadline, when the Orioles acquired 16 minor league players, Elias implied that some might help the team bring back needed pieces.

The Orioles have just two players in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, Basallo, who’s seventh, and outfielder Dylan Beavers, No. 83.

Of the other eight of their top 10 prospects, four were the Orioles’ highest picks in July’s draft — Catcher/first baseman Ike Irish (No. 3), shortstop Wehiwa Aloy (No. 5), outfielder Slater de Brun (No. 6) and catcher Caden Bodine (No. 10).

Aloy, Bodine and Irish combined to play just 51 games for Single-A Delmarva, though they each have extensive major college experience, but de Brun, who was a high school senior, was held out of games.

Five of the players acquired in trades — left-hander Boston Bateman (No. 9), right-hander Juaron Watts-Brown (No. 13), shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz (No. 24), infielder Cobb Hightower (No. 25) and right-hander Wellington Aracena (No. 29) are among MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Orioles prospects.

Bateman and Hightower have played just one full season of pro ball. De La Cruz, who’s only 18, has played just 40 games in the Dominican Summer League. Watts-Brown and Aracena each have played two years in the States. Aracena had two years of DSL experience, too.

De La Cruz was traded to the Orioles by the Cubs for Kittredge. The Orioles were able to get Kittredge back for cash considerations

Would a package of those prospects entice Minnesota to trade Ryan or López or Washington to deal Gore?

Elias is talking with other teams and agents about deals, and while nothing is likely in the next few days, the guess here is it will be a fascinating and fast-moving offseason.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.