Right-hander Albert Suárez is in camp with the Orioles on a minor league deal. He can opt out of that pact at the end of spring training if not added to the roster, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Kostka adds that teams are keeping tabs on Suárez and his status as that opt-out decision approaches.
Suárez, 36, spent 2019 to 2023 putting up good numbers in Japan and Korea. He returned to Major League Baseball in 2024 by signing with the Orioles and went on to have his best big league season to date. He gave the O’s 133 2/3 innings in a swing role, making 24 starts and eight relief appearances. He allowed 3.70 earned runs per nine with a 19.1% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate.
He wasn’t able to repeat that performance last year. He was beset by a subscapularis strain and a mild flexor strain, only making five appearances on the year. He was non-tendered at season’s end and re-signed to a minor league deal. He has a 7.59 ERA in a small sample of four appearances in Grapefruit League play this spring.
It doesn’t appear as though he has a great path to a roster spot with the Orioles right now. They currently have a rotation consisting of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer. They could option Kremer but it feels a bit unlikely since he’s been in the rotation for most of the past five years.
Assuming those six guys are on the roster, that leaves rooms for seven more pitchers, given the roster limit of 13 arms. Ryan Helsley, Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia can’t be optioned. Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells have optioned but Kostka describes them as locks for the roster. Kostka also suggests Grant Wolfram is likely to get a spot as well.
That would be seven and would result in Jackson Kowar, who is out of options, getting squeezed out. Kowar has big velocity but hasn’t translated that into strong results yet. He has an 8.21 ERA in 91 big league innings.
It’s possible one spot could be opened if Eflin requires a stint on the injured list, though he seems to be trending towards avoiding the IL. If one spot does open up, Kostka suggests that it could go to Kowar or Suárez, though he also lists José Espada and Yaramil Hiraldo as possibilities. Those latter two guys have options and pretty limited big league experience. If the O’s want to maintain some depth, they could option them while using a spot to either select Suárez or keep Kowar.
With less than a week left in camp, decisions will need to be made soon, unless Eflin’s progress slows down or someone else gets hurt. Depending on how things play out in the coming days, it’s possible both Suárez and Kowar end up available to other clubs, Suárez via his opt-out and Kowar via waivers.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
lst. Thinking he doesn’t opt out.
Cano isn’t gonna make it past april
He has 2 option years left so he’s certainly not getting DFA’d even if he’s sent down at some point.
he got hit with that come backer that Bassello snagged off the ricochet the other day… thought that was the end of Cano. Big Al recovered from a recent poor showing with a bounce back game but it’s no guarantee that he’ll be the surprising 2024 version again at his age. I believe that kind of find was important to 2024 and still in 2026 as the pen is really worrying me. I don’t want to go back to the PTSD that Kevin Gregg ‘s blown games caused me.
I’ve been saying that 3 pen additions was the bare minimum number needed this offseason.
We traded Cano, Kittredge, Dominguez, and Baker away from last years pen. Bautista is out for the year. We only brought in Helsley and Kitt again.
-5 + 2 was never good math. A lot of “hoping” down in that bullpen.
@44
Gregory Soto was traded, not Yannier Cano. But I get your meaning and the math is the same.
Sliding Wells to the Pen is a positive as he has some upside in relief and it seems that Elias saying that he was going to be kept as a starter may have encountered some changes.
Wells, Cano, Helsley, Derrick Enns and the human yoyo, Aikens. Probably Brady Singer’s Gator roommate, Kowars and then Grant Wolfram. Then, we can likely break camp with one item from Menu A: Cam Foster, Rico Garcia and Hiraldo.
Maybe 2 bc, Kittridge will be on the IL to start the season and if we don’t try the 6 man rotation. Just 1 from Menu A, if Eflin is ready for Opening Day (I suspect he will be put on the IL if for no other reason than roster flexibility).
8 in the pen and 5 in the rotation. I think bc most of them have no options, we will see some DFA festivities in the first 2 weeks. And with Mike and Eve’s DFA carousel, there is likely a waiver claim or two or three that will pitch some relief in April.
Misspoke—yeah Soto was traded obviously. I think we needed another impact reliever.
We’re really hoping that we find scrap heap arms that settle into late inning roles. With Kitt on the IL—our bridge looks extremely shaky. Wells & Helsley in the 8-9 role is good. We’re hoping we get good Yennier Cano & that Keegan Akin reverts back to 2024 form and can be tough on lefties .
Too much hoping for me. Would’ve felt a lot better with adding Helsley and a guy like Brad Keller for the backend. Have to imagine we’re swing a deadline deal like we did to acquire Seranthony and Soto.
Agree with the “hoping” aspect. Soto, Dominguez, and Bautista are better than Helsley et al. I don’t think the bullpen going into 2026 is as deep or strong as coming into 2025. The bullpen kept the starters afloat for the first 20 games last year (9-11 at that point). Then they started being overused. Akin didn’t have a great year but I think 2026 will be better. Not optimistic on Cano, or Enns who didn’t do much before last year. Wells being in the bullpen is a plus vs. 2025.
I think the bullpen is very average now; it has been an area of strength the past several years especially since the rotation remains below average. I think they’ll address it if needed once the season starts.
I think the rotation is definitely average at this point.i think it’s in a better spot than this bullpen today.
If we don’t wind up adding a reliever I think it’ll be because the AAA prospects came out and gave us quality help out of the pen.
Gibson, Levi Wells, LDL, Neighbors, Foster. Unlikely to see any of them very early but any of them could come up at some point this year.
maybe the Canadian gift that the Tigers gave us for Charlie Morton’s bones, Micah Ashman, can step into the southpaw role that Aiken had served. I know it’s a lot for a kid that just looked good in the WBC –.but I’m in full dream mode right now and I have the same exact concern for our Pen… I really am feeling the Kevin Gregg experience stress.