Many players auditioning for a few spots on 2026 Orioles

BALTIMORE—In the aftermath of last month’s trade deadline, there are plenty of new and newish Orioles whose place on the 2026 team is uncertain.

The Orioles will have openings for a utility infielder or two, some outfielders, in the starting rotation and especially in the bullpen.

In the three weeks before the July 31^st deadline, the Orioles traded away four relievers — Bryan Baker, Seranthony Domínguez, Andrew Kittredge and Gregory Soto. They also lost closer Félix Bautista for at least a year after rotator cuff and labrum surgery.

One interesting bullpen candidate is 34-year-old Dietrich Enns, who in the last move before the deadline was acquired from Detroit. Enns could be a long left-handed reliever and was the opener on Wednesday night.

“I think every month, every day is important,” Enns said. “I think it’s a good opportunity for a lot of guys.”

Two of those relievers are familiar, Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano. Most are not.

Rico Garcia, who was with the Orioles in 2022, returned to them this month.

“It gives them a chance to see if they want to keep me for next year, see what I’ve got,” Garcia said. “They traded away a lot of guys at the deadline, so everyone’s in the same [situation] — make a good impression to make the team for next year. It’s ride the wave and do what you can in a small window.”

The Orioles have some candidates from within their organization. It took Kade Strowd, a 12^th-round pick in 2019, nearly six years to get his major league chance.

“Anytime you’re up here, you’re showing what you’ve got,” Strowd said. “Showcasing what I can do here right now. Hopefully, there’s good results. We’ve all been working for the same thing for extended amounts of time.”

Most of the relievers wouldn’t be with the Orioles had there not been the trades. On Thursday, another new face came along. Shawn Dubin, who was claimed off waivers from Houston on Tuesday, replaced Wednesday night’s bulk pitcher, Roansy Contreras, who was designated for assignment after throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

“I’ve been with the Astros my whole career,” he said. “A little bit of change of scenery is going to go a long way. Being new to the scene, I want to show the guys what I can do, produce in any way that I can and hopefully help the team win some games.”

The final month of the season is vital for Dubin and the others.

“I look upon it as an opportunity,” he said. “It’s all part of the business. I’m happy to make new connections, meet new people.”

Two interesting utility players who’ve gotten opportunities because of trades and injuries are Jeremiah Jackson and Luis Vázquez.

Jackson made his debut right after the trade deadline and has made an excellent impression, playing the outfield and third base and hitting strongly, including a run-scoring double in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Red Sox that completed a four-game sweep.

“It’s really important to stay healthy, stay playing,” Jackson said. “It’s about getting reps and making the most out of those reps whenever they come. Not to look too far in the future, but how I finish is going to have a big decision on what happens in the future for me … In this game, it’s all about making the most out of your opportunity.”

Jackson and Vázquez have intrigued interim manager Tony Mansolino, who continues to audition for a job next season, too.

“I think it’s important to receive these opportunities to show what I’m capable of doing, making the most of them and set myself up going forward in the future,” Vazquez said through a team translator.

How many of these players can play for the Orioles in 2026? In 2021, Ramón Urías played well enough on a team that lost 110 games to secure a place on two playoff teams.

Mansolino thinks it will happen again.

“There’s going to be a couple of players to come out of this who become big leaguers,” he said. “I don’t think there’s going to be 10 guys who come out of this. That’s unrealistic. I don’t think that happens anywhere, but I think there’s going to be a couple of players that come out of this situation, and in 2026, are going to help the Orioles get back to the playoffs, without a doubt.”

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