It’s halfway through the 2025 offseason and the Baltimore Orioles have been active. They’ve been making a variety of moves to help push the team back to the playoffs after missing out in 2025. Coming into the offseason, President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said, “We’re going to go out in the market, see what we’re able to do to improve the team. But we’ll definitely be behaving as buyers this season, whether it’s free agency or trade.” Elias outlined the team’s three largest needs as a front-end starting pitcher, a veteran reliever with closing experience, and a veteran outfield bat. So far, the front office has gone out and proved its intent to buy. Here are all of the major league moves the Orioles have made in chronological order, and a grade of how beneficial they have been to the team.
Traded with Chicago Cubs for Andrew Kittredge (November 4th)
The first move of the offseason in Baltimore was trading for Andrew Kittredge from the Chicago Cubs, effectively recalling him from a loan in Chicago. At the deadline in 2025, the Orioles dealt Kittredge to Chicago for a return of Dominican shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz. This offseason, the Orioles reacquired Kittredge for cash considerations. While the move doesn’t break the bank, it brings back a very reliable bullpen arm who gained some extra playoff experience in his time in Chicago. In addition, it cost almost nothing as the team essentially added their 21st-ranked prospect in De La Cruz for the money sent to the Cubs.
This deal singlehandedly may not be going to bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to Baltimore. But it is a good step for the team.
Grade: B
Signed Leody Taveras (November 6th)
The Orioles signed Leody Taveras to a one-year, $2 million contract. Taveras comes to Baltimore after five and a half years with the Texas Rangers, before a brief stop with the Seattle Mariners after being claimed by Seattle off waivers in May. Taveras is a below-average hitter with an 84 OPS+ in his career and doesn’t have a lot of power. Despite his shortcomings offensively, Taveras provides above-average arm strength, ranking in the 92nd percentile in the metric on Baseball Savant. Additionally, Taveras is in the 86th percentile in sprint speed.
The move to sign Taveras by the Orioles is very low risk and will likely have very minimal reward. Taveras will have very limited playing time in a crowded Camden Yards outfield. Considering the moves the team made later in the offseason, this one seems likely to be a depth play to get a player with World Series experience into the system, whether it be in the majors or Triple-A.
Grade: D
Traded for Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels (November 19th)
The team made their first real big splash of the offseason by trading former 6th overall prospect, according to Baseball America in Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to injury and has dealt with injuries his entire big league career. In return, the Orioles acquired Ward, who is coming off a season where he set career highs in home runs, RBI, and walks. He notched his first 30-home run season in 2025 with 36. According to Baseball Savant, Ward is an 80th percentile hitter in batting run value, but is well below average in baserunning and fielding run values.
The return to the Angels was steep with Rodriguez, who still has team control until 2030. Ward on the other hand will enter free agency after this season. The move baffled lots of Oriole supporters, but could prove very beneficial for the club. Ward has the potential to recreate his power output from 2025 in 2026 if not improve upon it with Camden Yards being a slightly more favorable hitter-friendly ballpark than Angels Stadium. The move certainly comes with an element of risk as Ward doesn’t hit for great average and joins an already very crowded Orioles outfield, and Grayson Rodriguez could prove to be the ace the Orioles were searching for. But, it does check off one of the team’s needs coming into the offseason, though selling a possible top-end starter to check that box was not most fans’ ideal scenario.
Grade: C
Signed Ryan Helsley (December 1st)
Ryan Helsley signed with the Orioles on a two-year deal worth up to $28 million. The deal includes a player option after the 2026 season. This move achieves one of the goals the team said they needed coming into the offseason: a bullpen arm with closing experience. Helsley checks that box. While his time in Queens with the New York Mets was a disaster after his deadline trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, Helsley has been an elite closer before, leading the majors in saves in 2024.
Clearly, the Orioles think they can get 2024 Helsley, not the 2025 Mets Helsley. With the injury to Felix Bautista likely sidelining him for the entirety of 2026, the Orioles have re-upped in the flame-throwing right-handed closer role with Ryan Helsley. Despite the rough finish to his season, Helsley still finished the year with above league averages in K% and K-BB%. While Helsley did struggle in 2025, the contract is relatively cheap and short, with the upside of having a Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award winner closing out games in Baltimore.
Grade: B+
Signed Pete Alonso (December 11th)
The Orioles signed Pete Alonso to the second-richest contract in franchise history. At five years and $155 million, it is easily the most expensive contract the Orioles have handed out in terms of Average Annual Value (AAV) at $31 million. Alonso is a five-time National League All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby champion who comes off his first career Silver Slugger Award win at first base in 2025. Alonso is the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs and is coming off his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance in a season where he notched career highs in average, doubles, and hits. The move brings a punishing middle-of-the-lineup veteran bat to the Orioles to play alongside their young and exciting core.
Alonso has played every game each of the last two seasons and has only missed 24 games in his career so far. He will likely rotate between first base and designated hitter in as many games as the team desires. Not only does Alonso’s signing move the needle on the field, but it also showed that the front office was truly willing to spend the money in free agency to help the team compete, which many fans were skeptical would be the case.
Grade: A+
Traded a Haul of Prospects for Shane Baz (December 19th)
The most recent move the Orioles made was to acquire right-handed pitcher Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. In return, the Orioles sent four of the team’s top 30 prospects and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick. The prospects were outfielders Slater de Brun (#6) and Austin Overn (#30), catcher Caden Bodine (#10), and pitcher Michael Forret (#11).
Baz was a former top prospect who finished his first full season at the big league level in 2025. He has team control through the 2028 season and was 11th in baseball in Stuff+ according to Fangraphs. His knuckle-curve ranked as the seventh-best pitch in all of baseball in Stuff+. Baz’s repertoire is elite, and while his statistics didn’t show it in 2025, his 2024 output after returning from Tommy John surgery shows how impressive he can be.
While Baz may not be a top-tier ace yet, he holds the ability to be just that. The Orioles clearly see it that way as well. Sending away two top 40 picks from last year’s draft in Bodine and de Brun, as well as two other highly touted prospects in Forret and Overn, and on top of that sending the 33rd pick in the upcoming draft shows how highly the team thinks of Baz. The move shows yet again that the front office is committed to winning now.
The Rays’ return package was huge, but the Orioles are proving yet again that they want to compete now. Baz may not have the best-looking stats, but his underlying metrics are incredibly impressive. The Orioles could very well have gotten their ace of the future for a collection of players that may never make it to the big league level. Time will tell.
Grade: B
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