Will Orioles extend Trevor Rogers? | MAILBAG

Question: I’ve seen enough. Trevor Rogers has earned a contract extension, and among the candidates for an extension he should be the cheapest. Will the O’s seriously consider an extension for Rogers this offseason? And if not him, who, because the other candidates seem to be beyond their price range. From: Bradley L. Mitchell, Princeton, New Jersey

Answer: Bradley, I have a similar question from Joel about Rogers. He’s been outstanding with a 1.41 ERA in 12 starts, and his WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 4.1, which is terrific as well.

I would certainly hope the Orioles try to extend him, but perhaps he’ll want to bet on himself and look to be a free agent and cash in a year from now.

At the least, the Orioles can look forward to having Rogers for a full season next year.

Question: What’s the likelihood that the O’s bring back Jorge Mateo next year? Versatile in the field, and dangerous on the basepaths, but not at the plate. Perhaps helps cover part of the gap left by Ramón Urías’ departure? From: Ben Seisler

Answer: Ben, I think there isn’t much chance that Jorge Mateo is an Oriole in 2026. He’s played in only 31 games, but you’re correct he’s effective on the basepaths. He stole 14 of 15 bases.

Tony Mansolino said a couple of weeks ago that he hoped Mateo could play again early next month. However, there isn’t much room for him to play the infield with Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg playing every day, and with the addition of Dylan Beavers, the return of Colton Cowser and the possible return of Tyler O’Neill, there might not be much time in the outfield, either.

I think the Orioles are looking at Jeremiah Jackson as a possible utility candidate for 2026, and they also have Luis Vázquez, who hasn’t played much during the time he’s been up.

I also expect the Orioles will be looking at other utility candidates as free agents since neither Jackson nor Vázquez has close to the speed Mateo does, but I think the Jorge Mateo train has left the Orioles’ station.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.