2026-27 Club Options: AL East
A couple weeks ago, MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald highlighted the players who could choose to return to the free agent market via opt-out clauses. We’ll now take a division by division look at those whose contracts contain club, mutual or vesting options. That kicks off tonight with the AL East.
Although it’s early in the season, a lot of these provisions are fairly easy to predict. The mutual options are almost certain to be declined by either the player or team (usually the latter). They’re accounting measures, essentially an unofficial deferral within the term of the contract itself. The player agrees to push back a percentage of the guaranteed money to the end of the deal in the form of an option buyout — which is paid after the end of the World Series rather than evenly distributed during the regular season as salary.
Baltimore Orioles
- RHP Zach Eflin: $25MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
Eflin’s return to the Orioles was dashed by yet another injury: an elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery. The O’s probably weren’t signing up for a $25MM salary even if he’d stayed healthy this year, but this is as obvious a buyout as these decisions get.
- LHP Dietrich Enns: $3.5MM club option ($125K buyout)
Enns pitched well for the O’s down the stretch after a deadline trade from Detroit. The 34-year-old southpaw worked to a 3.14 ERA while striking out 28% of batters faced across 28 2/3 innings. Although he’s nowhere close to six years of MLB service time, his contract contained a 2026 club option that presumably had a clause ensuring he’d become a free agent if the team declined. That’s fairly common for players like Enns who had spent the preceding couple seasons pitching in Asia.
The O’s restructured Enns’ contract to pay him a $2.5MM salary and guarantee a $125K buyout on a $3.5MM team option for the ’27 season. He has walked five batters over 4 1/3 innings to begin this season. Enns landed on the injured list a couple weeks ago with a foot infection. He began a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Saturday. This one is too early to judge.
- 1B Ryan Mountcastle: $7.5MM club option
Mountcastle agreed to tack on a $7.5MM option to avoid going to an arbitration hearing last offseason. Speculatively, that’s probably due to the CBA provision which doesn’t fully guarantee salaries determined at an arbitration hearing until Opening Day. Had Mountcastle not settled, the O’s might’ve released him for termination pay during Spring Training after making a splash on Pete Alonso earlier in the winter.
Although the O’s were surely happy to get the extra year of club control, it probably won’t be of much benefit. Mountcastle broke a bone in his left foot last week and will miss at least two months. It’s his second straight year with a significant injury. He lost a couple months to a hamstring strain in 2025. Mountcastle was already an odd roster fit who’d make more sense as a trade chip. Maybe he’ll return in the second half and hit well enough that the O’s feel the option price is too good to pass up, but it’s likelier this is getting declined.
Boston Red Sox
- LHP Aroldis Chapman: $13MM mutual option ($300K buyout); vests at $13MM at 40 innings pitched
Chapman’s option vests if he reaches 40 innings pitched this season and passes an end of year physical. He has surpassed 40 frames in three straight seasons. He’s at 7 2/3 innings thus far. It’d take at least one injured list stint — probably an absence of 6-8 weeks — for him to fall short of 40 innings.
In any case, the Sox would be happy to have him back at that price if he’s healthy. Chapman was probably the best reliever in MLB last season, firing 61 1/3 innings of 1.17 ERA ball with a 37% strikeout rate. The punchouts are down early this year in an exceedingly tiny sample, yet he has only allowed one run and is 4-4 in save opportunities. He remains at the top of his game at age 38.
- RHP Sonny Gray: $30MM mutual option ($10MM buyout)
Gray restructured his contract as a condition of the offseason trade that sent him from St. Louis to Boston. The deal initially came with a $35MM salary for this year and a $5MM option buyout. Gray agreed to move $4MM of salary back to the buyout while picking up an extra $1MM as a condition for waiving his no-trade clause. He’ll be a free agent.
- RHP Garrett Whitlock: $8.25MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Whitlock’s contract comes with an $8.25MM team option that includes $4MM in unspecified escalators. There’s also a $10.5MM club option for the ’28 season. Whitlock has been one of the best setup arms in MLB throughout his career. He rebounded from an injury-plagued ’24 season to fire 72 frames of 2.25 ERA ball with a 31% strikeout rate last year.
The righty’s command has been a little wobbly this year and his sinker velocity is down a couple ticks. Still, he’s only allowed two earned runs while striking out 11 through his first nine innings. No other Boston reliever is getting higher-leverage assignments on average. This is one of the likelier options to be exercised.
New York Yankees
- None.
Tampa Bay Rays
- 1B Yandy Díaz: $10MM club option; converts to $13MM option which automatically vests at 500 plate appearances
Tampa Bay preemptively locked in Díaz’s $12MM club option for the 2026 season during Spring Training ’25. In exchange, the first baseman gave the team a $10MM option for ’27 that would vest at $13MM as long as he stayed healthy enough to reach 500 plate appearances. Díaz is a little over 20% of the way there. Even if he suffers an injury that takes the vesting provision off the table, he’s been such a good hitter that Tampa Bay would probably be happy to exercise the $10MM option.
- RHP Nick Martinez: $20MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
The mutual option in the Martinez contract was purely one of the aforementioned accounting mechanisms. The Rays aren’t paying him a $20MM salary even if he pitches to their expectations. He’ll be bought out.
- CF Cedric Mullins: $10MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
The same is very likely true for Mullins. A $10MM option price is rich for Tampa Bay unless the former All-Star outfielder has a resurgent season — in which case, he’d decline his end and look for a multi-year deal. The early returns aren’t encouraging, as Mullins is hitting .156 with two homers through his first 21 games. Over the past calendar year, he’s a .194/.257/.336 hitter.
- RHP Drew Rasmussen: $8MM club option ($500K buyout); option could escalate up to $20MM depending upon Rasmussen’s health and innings total
Before the 2025 season, the Rays signed Rasmussen to a two-year deal that bought out his final arbitration years. It included a complex club option for 2027 that was heavily dependent on his health. The option comes with an $8MM base value but includes up to $12MM in escalators based on starts and time spent on the injured list.
Rasmussen had only once topped 80 MLB innings at the time of his extension. He has undergone multiple elbow procedures and broke into the league as a reliever because of durability concerns. Rasmussen has stayed healthy over the past year-plus. He pitched a career-high 150 innings en route to a top 10 Cy Young placement in 2025. He’s out to a similarly excellent start to the ’26 campaign, allowing just four earned runs through his first 19 2/3 innings.
The option value will begin to climb before long. It’ll jump to $8.5MM once he reaches eight starts and includes additional escalators for every fourth start up through 28 appearances. If he makes 28+ starts, it’d jump to a minimum of $14MM. That’s just the beginning, as the number climbs if he avoids a long-term injured list stint. It’d get up to $20MM if he goes the entire season without an arm injury.
At $8MM, Rasmussen is an unmitigated bargain even for a low-payroll Rays club. The escalators will probably climb quickly enough that he’ll be a trade candidate. That could happen midseason if the team isn’t in the playoff hunt or early next offseason if they hold him at the deadline. If Rasmussen repeats last year’s production, he’s not going to be in any danger of being bought out — as closer Pete Fairbanks was when escalators pushed his option value from $7MM to $11MM.
Note: The Rays hold a $3.1MM club option on INF Taylor Walls. He’d remain eligible for arbitration if the team declines.
Toronto Blue Jays
- CF Myles Straw: $8MM club option ($1.75MM buyout); Guardians paying Toronto $1.75MM at season’s end as part of 2025 trade
The Blue Jays acquired Straw in a salary dump trade with the Guardians over the 2024-25 offseason. Toronto agreed to cover $11MM of the remaining two years and $14.75MM on Straw’s underwater contract. (He’d gone unclaimed on waivers that same offseason and was no longer on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.) In exchange, the Guards sent the Jays international bonus pool space. Toronto could then increase their offer to Roki Sasaki by an extra $2MM in a late, ultimately unsuccessful effort to sway the star NPB pitcher away from signing with the Dodgers.
Sasaki’s decision to join L.A. made this initially look like a complete bust for Toronto. To his credit, Straw has salvaged the move. He made the team in 2025 and did a nice job in a fourth outfield role, hitting .262/.313/.367 while playing his typically excellent outfield defense. He’s out to a good start this season as well and provides a high-floor depth option if Daulton Varsho misses any time.
Will that be enough to convince the Jays to keep Straw around? They certainly didn’t anticipate exercising an $8MM option at the time of the trade. That’s made clear enough by the teams’ agreement for the Guardians to send Toronto a $1.75MM payment — which matches the buyout value — at the end of the ’26 season. Cleveland is sending the money either way, though, so it’d amount to a $6.25MM call if the Jays want to bring Straw back.
That’s a little rich for a fourth outfielder, which is what Straw has been for the last few seasons. Varsho is an impending free agent and the Jays don’t have anyone waiting in the wings from the farm system. Straw’s play and the possibility of Varsho walking has made this a tougher call than even the Jays’ front office would have anticipated.
Orioles Place Ryan Mountcastle On 60-Day IL, Select Weston Wilson
4:12pm: The Orioles officially announced that Wilson’s contract has been selected and that Mountcastle has been placed on the 60-day IL. That’s one of just several moves for the O’s today. Baltimore also recalled righty Dean Kremer earlier today and just announced the acquisition of corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand in a cash swap with the Reds.
3:43pm: Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle is headed to the injured list after suffering a broken fourth metacarpal in his left foot while legging out a double this past weekend, manager Craig Albernaz tells the Baltimore beat (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). Albernaz didn’t tip the team’s hand on whether Mountcastle would head to the 10-day or 60-day IL, suggesting only that both are under consideration. He added that he has not yet been told whether surgery is on the table.
Kubatko adds that infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson is on the Orioles’ taxi squad at the moment, making him a likely replacement, though the team hasn’t announced anything on that front. Jackson Holliday is with the club today at Camden Yards but is not yet ready for reinstatement from the IL. He’s merely taking some infield drills while Triple-A Norfolk is off. Holliday has yet to play this season after suffering a hamate fracture early in spring training.
Wilson isn’t on the 40-man roster, so assuming he is indeed the corresponding move, he’d need to have his contract selected. The Orioles have a full 40-man roster, though if Mountcastle heads to the 60-day IL, that’d open a spot.
The 29-year-old Mountcastle has hit decently in a far more limited role than he’s used to so far in 2026. He’s appeared in eight games and tallied only 15 plate appearances, going 4-for-14 with a double and a walk in that time. Baltimore’s signing of Pete Alonso and the ascension of catcher/designated hitter Samuel Basallo has substantially cut into Mountcastle’s playing time.
Even before the O’s signed Alonso, Mountcastle looked like a prime non-tender candidate. Injuries limited him to 89 games last season, and he slashed just .250/.286/.367 (81 wRC+) when healthy. He was due for one final raise in arbitration, and with a $6.787MM salary last year, he felt like a relatively pricey rebound candidate, given his limited defensive utility. Baltimore also had longtime top prospect Coby Mayo ready for a full-time run at first base (though obviously the Alonso signing changed that calculus).
The Orioles made the somewhat surprising call to tender him. They wound up coaxing some additional value by getting Mountcastle to agree to repeat his 2025 salary and tack on a $7.5MM club option for what should’ve been his first free agent year in 2026. However, Mountcastle still entered camp with a “square peg in a round hole” vibe as a clearly imperfect fit for an Orioles roster that had changed considerably since his run as a regular in the middle of the order. Unsurprisingly, the O’s looked into various trade possibilities throughout spring training, but no deal came together.
Mountcastle now heads to the injured list for a potentially prolonged absence. He’ll join third baseman Jordan Westburg, who’s hoping to avoid Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a UCL tear, in that regard. With Westburg sidelined, the aforementioned Mayo has been manning the hot corner but has struggled with the bat. An absence of some note for Mountcastle could give Mayo a longer leash to get right at the plate even when Holliday and possibly Westburg return to the fold.
Wilson, 31, was an offseason waiver claim out of the Phillies organization. He’s spent parts of the past three seasons in the majors with Philadelphia, hitting a combined .242/.328/.428 with nine home runs in 245 trips to the plate. Almost all of that production came in 2023-24, however. Wilson hit just .198/.282/.369 in a career-high 125 plate appearances in 2025 but raked at a .288/.375/.490 clip the prior two seasons.
Wilson has never hit righties much but feasted on southpaws in ’23-’24 before taking a huge step back in ’25. Even with last year’s lack of production in platoon settings, he’s a career .250/.359/.475 hitter (130 wRC+) against left-handed pitching. Wilson also owns a solid .247/.339/.462 output in nearly 1700 plate appearances of Triple-A work and will give Baltimore an option at all four corner positions. He batted .233/.395/.433 in 36 spring plate appearances but has mustered only a .195/.298/.366 slash in a comparable sample at Triple-A this year.
Orioles Notes: Mountcastle, Mayo
Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle was lifted from the eighth inning of today’s Grapefruit League contest after being plunked on the right hand, but the team has already announced that initial x-rays came back negative. Mountcastle will presumably be considered day-to-day for the time being.
A fracture or any sort of notable injury would only have piled on to what’s been an injury-marred camp for the Orioles this spring in Sarasota. Baltimore has already lost Jordan Westburg (partial UCL tear), Jackson Holliday (hamate fracture) and Andrew Kittredge (shoulder inflammation).
The offseason signing of Pete Alonso pushed Mountcastle out of an everyday role in Baltimore, but he’s still in the mix for DH reps and occasional time at first base. Injuries to Westburg and Holliday have thrust Coby Mayo (third base) and trade acquisition Blaze Alexander (second base) into likely starting jobs. Those injuries create more opportunity for both Mountcastle and catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo at the DH spot.
Of course, that assumes Mountcastle breaks camp with the club at all. He didn’t seem like a lock to be tendered a contract coming off an injury-ruined season in 2025, but the O’s passed on their chance to cut him loose. After tendering him a contract, they agreed to a one-year deal worth $6.72MM — a contract that includes a 2027 club option that gave the O’s control over what would’ve been Mountcastle’s first free agent season.
The O’s shopped Mountcastle throughout the offseason and have continued to discuss him during spring trade scenarios. The injuries elsewhere on the roster perhaps make a Mountcastle trade a bit less likely, but an injury of his own would have all but eliminated the possibility. With today’s clean bill of health, it seems like an eventual move could at least plausibly be on the table. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at some logical landing spots for Mountcastle just last week.
The early spate of injuries has already prompted the Orioles to pump the brakes on a potential trade of the aforementioned Mayo. He’s seen his name kicked around the rumor circuit for the better part of 18 months, but Mayo now appears poised to open the season at the hot corner. Kyle Goon of the Baltimore Banner takes a look at the wild ride Mayo has been on over the past year, being asked to change positions multiple times and slowly feeling as though his standing in the organization was slipping.
Mayo played shortstop prior to being drafted, was quickly moved to third base, and was told following the 2025 season that he should prepare strictly as a first baseman — the position he played down the stretch with regularity last year. He then watched the Orioles sign Alonso to a five-year contract, retain Mountcastle in arbitration and effectively ensure that Basallo would be on the roster moving forward by signing him to an eight-year extension.
“I think you just have to remember that there’s a plan out there for you, no matter if it was with the Orioles or with another team,” Mayo said of the tumultuous run he’s had over the past year-plus. “I’m gonna always do what I can to help myself out and get better. There’s nothing to gain out of sulking and being upset about moves a team has made. Going into the spring, who knew that we were gonna have two guys go down in a weeklong span? Like, we had no idea.”
New O’s skipper Craig Albernaz tells Goon that he’s “more than comfortable” opening the year with Mayo as his primary third baseman. In all likelihood, that’ll be the plan. Mayo has made three errors back at the hot corner but has hit well enough to overshadow those concerns for the time being. He was out of the lineup today, but Mayo is 13-for-26 with three doubles, a homer and only one strikeout in 28 spring plate appearances. He also hasn’t taken a walk, leading to an oddball line with his OBP checking in south of his batting average: .500/.464/.731. (Mayo has two sacrifice flies on the spring, hence the OBP discrepancy.)
Orioles Exploring Trades Of Coby Mayo, Ryan Mountcastle
Even as Spring Training begins to get underway, the Orioles are continuing to explore trade possibilities involving Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
That news comes in spite of recent news that second baseman Jackson Holliday has undergone hamate surgery, which is expected to sideline him for the start of the season. That news creates a path for the Orioles to roster both Mayo and Mountcastle by moving Jordan Westburg to second base in Holliday’s absence and playing Mayo at the hot corner, where he’s gotten most of his reps throughout his career. Of course, that’s a less than ideal solution given that Mayo’s lackluster defense at third base is what prompted the club to explore the option of using him in a first base/DH role in the first place. Whether Mayo ultimately winds up playing third on Opening Day or not, however, the Orioles will struggle to find roles for both Mountcastle and Mayo throughout the year given the presence of Pete Alonso at first base, Taylor Ward in left field, and the club’s desire to utilize Samuel Basallo at DH when he’s not backing up Adley Rutschman behind the plate.
Rosenthal notes that Mayo would have more value than Mountcastle on the trade market, and that’s certainly the case. Mayo is a former top prospect who has not yet broken through at the big league level, but he posted a decent 95 wRC+ in 85 games last year, including a 109 wRC+ after the All-Star break. Mayo only just celebrated his 24th birthday in December, has six seasons of team control remaining, and is still making the league minimum salary. That should make him a very attractive potential option for clubs interested in adding some right-handed pop in a corner, though the Orioles would surely be looking for a significant return for such a well-regarded young player.
Mountcastle, on the other hand, shouldn’t cost much in trade at all. The six-year MLB veteran will celebrate his 29th birthday later this week, and while he was a career .265/.316/.450 (111 wRC+) hitter entering last year, an injury-marred 2025 campaign left him with an 81 wRC+ in just 89 games last year. He avoided being non-tendered by the Orioles somewhat surprisingly this past winter and is now set to play on a one-year deal that guarantees him $6.787MM and comes with a $7.5MM club option for the 2027 season. That club option creates some upside for an acquiring club, as it would allow them to retain Mountcastle next year if he bounces back to his career norms. Even so, Mountcastle was a below replacement level player last year and is making a salary that’s hardly insignificant. With players like Ty France and Rhys Hoskins still available in free agency for nothing but money, it would be a surprise to see a team give up significant trade capital in order to acquire Mountcastle.
That doesn’t mean there’s zero room for a deal to be made, of course. Perhaps a team like the Guardians, Rangers, or Cubs could benefit from adding some right-handed pop to their first base/DH mix. Alternatively, it’s not hard to imagine a team like the Nationals, Rockies, or White Sox with space to fill on their roster and low expectations for 2026 seeing Mountcastle as an intriguing bounceback candidate who they could give significant runway to in hopes of helping him rebuild value and flipping him either at this summer’s trade deadline or next offseason. Mayo could surely fit all of those teams as well, of course, though at a much higher asking price and with plenty of additional possible suitors. Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Pirates, and Marlins could all be feasible longer-term fits for Mayo, particularly if they believe him to be capable of handling third base.
MLBTR Podcast: The Cubs Land Cabrera And Bregman, Remaining Free Agents, And Skubal’s Arbitration Filing
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Cubs acquiring Edward Cabrera from the Marlins for Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernández and Edgardo De Leon (1:55)
- The Cubs agreeing to a deal with Alex Bregman (13:10)
- The Red Sox coming up short on Bregman and where that leaves them now (27:35)
- The game of musical chairs with the remaining top free agents (35:40)
- The Tigers and Tarik Skubal going into arbitration $13MM apart (41:45)
- The Orioles and Ryan Mountcastle avoiding arbitration with a unique deal (57:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Contracts For Imai And Okamoto, And Thoughts On The Pirates And Giants – listen here
- Three-Way Trade, Murakami’s Short-Term Deal, And Willson Contreras To Boston – listen here
- The Mets Sign Jorge Polanco, And The Braves, Blue Jays And Royals Make Moves – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Orioles Avoid Arbitration With Ryan Mountcastle
The Orioles and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a contract that gives the O’s control over Mountcastle’s first free agent year, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Mountcastle will earn $6.787MM in 2026, and Baltimore holds a $7.5MM club option on the first baseman’s services for 2027. Mountcastle is represented by Apex Baseball.
The $6.787MM salary is an exact match for Mountcastle’s 2025 earnings. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $7.8MM salary for Mountcastle in 2026, yet the first baseman has eschewed on even a modest raise while also agreeing to give up a year of free agency, meaning that he won’t be able to fully financially capitalize on a bounce-back season.
The deal may simply reflect the lack of leverage Mountcastle has over his future in Baltimore, as it was viewed as something of a surprise that the Orioles tendered the first baseman a contract in the wake of his lackluster 2025 campaign. A solid 111 wRC+ hitter over the 2020-24 seasons, Mountcastle plummeted to an 81 wRC+ in 2025 after hitting .250/.286/.367 with seven home runs over 357 plate appearances. A severe hamstring strain limited Mountcastle to 89 games, which president of baseball operations Mike Elias said in November was a factor in the decision to tender Mountcastle a contract.
Elias’ view is that a healthy Mountcastle can rebound to his pre-2025 self, and thus the team didn’t want to let that player go for nothing. Keeping a veteran on hand as a complement to Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo made some sense if the Orioles weren’t fully ready to give the youngsters a full run at regular first-base duties, yet the picture suddenly got a lot more crowded when Baltimore signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155MM contract.
It could be that this agreement is a step towards making Mountcastle more of an attractive trade candidate for any interested suitors. Beyond his lack of a raise on his 2025 salary, the club option would give a new team some additional control at a potential bargain price if Mountcastle can indeed regain his old form. The Orioles could also pivot by moving Mayo in a trade, and thus Mountcastle becomes first base/DH insurance for 2026 and potentially beyond, giving the team a bit more time to evaluate Basallo.
Orioles’ Mike Elias On Rodriguez/Ward Trade, Pitching Search, Non-Tender Decisions
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias held a video conference with reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) on Friday to discuss both the team’s decisions at the non-tender deadline and several other topics, most notably the major one-for-one swap earlier this week that sent Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in exchange for Taylor Ward.
The trade represented something of a long-term goal for the front office, as Elias said Ward is “somebody that we’ve been chasing for at least for a couple years, just because of the profile, the big right-handed power.” Adding Ward brought more balance to a Baltimore lineup that was pretty heavy in left-handed bats, and finally making the move to obtain him now was related to both the Orioles’ needs and broader market conditions. “I wasn’t confident where else somebody like him would come from on the free agent and trade market right now that has the sort of bat that we think he has and what he did last year,” Elias said.
With this perceived scarcity in mind, the Orioles were ultimately willing to move Rodriguez, which counted as a surprise on many levels. Injuries have kept G-Rod off a big league mound since July 31, 2024, yet it wasn’t long ago that the former top prospect was viewed as a building block of the Orioles’ rotation. Rodriguez also isn’t slated for free agency until after the 2029 season, whereas Ward is controlled through just the 2026 season.
Elias cited Ward as a potential qualifying offer candidate heading into free agency, “so that could change that equation a little bit” in terms of “the mismatch in the amount of potential team control.” But in general, the O’s were ultimately willing to take the risk of moving Rodriguez in order to pry Ward away from Los Angeles.
“It’s uncomfortable to make trades, usually. It’s hard to line up, and you’re going to give something up,” Elias said. “That is always going to be difficult and interesting….Grayson’s a great kid. We loved bringing him up in this organization and rearing him, and he’s got a bright future. And sometimes, trades are a part of baseball.”
Losing Rodriguez deepens Baltimore’s need for starting pitching, which Elias reiterated as a chief goal of the club’s offseason. Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and Cade Povich now line up as the projected starting five, with Brandon Young and Chayce McDermott in the minors as the top depth options. It’s a group that needed more experience and clear top-of-the-rotation upside even when Rodriguez was still in the fold, and Elias said again that his team is looking at many pitchers, “whether it’s top or front or top half of the rotation, all those buckets. We’re trying, and there are guys out there and we are in pursuit of every one of them.”
With both the rotation and bullpen as needs, a reunion with swingman Albert Suarez could help on two fronts, and Elias said the Orioles were interested in a reunion even after non-tendering the right-hander yesterday. “I don’t want to go into details about our decision-making as we approach these tender decisions, but we very much are fans of Albert and we’re very much hoping to continue talking to him, and made that clear to him and his group,” the PBO said.
Suarez is another pitcher looking to rebound from a lost 2025 season, as he tossed only 11 2/3 innings for the Orioles last year. A right rotator cuff sidelined Suarez for most of the year, and he was also hit by a flexor tendon strain in his right forearm near the end of the season. The flexor strain was said to be minor enough that surgery didn’t seem necessary, and Suarez was expected to resume a throwing program after a recovery period.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected that Suarez would receive a $900K salary in his first trip through the arbitration process, as Suarez’s earning potential was obviously dampened by his lack of time on the mound in 2025. Despite that modest salary and the Orioles’ remaining years of control, the team still opted to part ways with Suarez. It could be that the O’s think they can bring Suarez back at an even lower price tag, or the club may have some misgivings about Suarez’s health situation.
While Elias mentioned the Orioles’ wide-ranging search for pitching, he didn’t directly allude to the possibility of pivoting and now trading a bat for rotation help. This seemed like a logical avenue for Baltimore to explore heading into the offseason, and the tactic perhaps makes even more sense in the wake of both the Ward trade and the fact that the O’s tendered a contract to Ryan Mountcastle. Between Mountcastle’s projected $7.8MM arbitration salary, his disappointing 2025 numbers, and a first base picture that also includes Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo, there was plenty of speculation that the Orioles would just part ways with Mountcastle entirely.
Instead, the O’s kept Mountcastle because “we think he’s a great hitter,” Elias stated, noting that Mountcastle’s production was impacted by a hamstring strain that kept him on the injured list for over two months. Elias isn’t concerned over any potential roster surplus, as he again pointed to the many injury concerns that helped sink the Orioles’ 2025 season.
“As we lived through last year, you have to worry about depth, too. This is something that will sort itself out. I think the main thing is we don’t want to discard a good hitter if we don’t have to, and we want to keep our talent, and these guys are all really promising bats,” Elias said.
Another bat or two might yet join the mix, as Elias said “we are definitely still pursuing upgrades to the lineup. But I think that Taylor’s presence really solidifies the outfield picture in a way that gives us more flexibility with hunting that next impact bat and where that person plays.” In terms of specific positions, Elias said the team would like to have more center field depth, even with Colton Cowser and the newly-acquired Leody Taveras currently lined up up the middle.
Orioles Notes: Suarez, Mountcastle, Center Field
Orioles right-hander Albert Suárez is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow after suffering a season-ending elbow injury, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. That should determine whether the 35-year-old is in danger of any kind of surgery.
This was a lost year for Suárez, who’d been a surprisingly valuable part of the 2024 pitching staff. The journeyman started 24 of 32 appearances a season ago, working to a 3.70 ERA across 133 2/3 innings. Suárez began this year in long relief. He hurt his shoulder after one appearance and was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain that cost him the next four months.
By the time Suárez returned in September, the Orioles were well out of contention. He made four appearances, working nine innings of two-run ball. Then came the elbow inflammation that knocked him out for the year and raises questions about his future. Suárez is eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $900K salary. That’s more than reasonable if the Orioles expect him to be healthy next season, but any kind of serious injury could lead them to drop him from the 40-man roster.
Suárez is one of 14 Baltimore players who’ll be eligible for arbitration. Ryan Mountcastle has the highest projected salary of the group at $7.8MM. It’d be a surprise if the O’s bring him back for that amount after an injury-plagued season. Mountcastle suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain at the end of May. That kept him on the injured list beyond the trade deadline. He was healthy for the final six weeks and slashed .255/.293/.393 across 157 plate appearances. He struck out in nearly one third of his trips to the plate.
The 28-year-old had also struggled early in the season. He finished the year with a .250/.286/.367 line while hitting seven homers in 89 games. The Orioles used him as a part-time player down the stretch, giving everyday first base work to 23-year-old Coby Mayo. Even if neither Mayo nor rookie catcher/designated hitter Samuel Basallo had a good season, the O’s will probably look for a cheaper veteran bench bat to work behind those younger hitters.
Mountcastle acknowledged uncertainty about his future during the final weekend of the regular season (link via Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball). The 2015 third-round pick noted that he “can’t control things that happen” with the team’s decision but praised the coaches and teammates with whom he’s worked over his decade in the organization. Baltimore will probably shop him in trade, but they could have a hard time finding interest at that arbitration salary. A non-tender seems likelier. That would send him to free agency and make him an interesting rebound candidate for clubs on a cheaper one-year deal.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the O’s have a question mark in center field. After Cedric Mullins was traded at the deadline, the Orioles played Colton Cowser up the middle. While his small-sample defensive grades were tolerable, his average speed makes him a better fit in right field over a full season. Cowser had a terrible second half at the plate, hitting .178/.263/.340 after the All-Star Break. He missed time with a concussion and played through broken ribs that he suffered in June.
The O’s don’t have a ton of in-house alternatives. Dylan Beavers played exclusively in the corner outfield as a rookie. He’s an above-average runner who has some center field experience in the minors, yet he played more right field coming up through the system. Former first-rounder Enrique Bradfield is a no-doubt center fielder who hit well in Double-A, but he batted .179 in 15 games after a late-season promotion to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll probably begin the year in the minors.
Jake Rill of MLB.com suggested this morning that the O’s should look for an external upgrade, ideally one who hits from the right side. Cowser, Beavers, and Bradfield each hit left-handed. Harrison Bader fits that bill in free agency, but he should sign somewhere that offers everyday playing time on at least a strong two-year contract. They could add a fourth/fifth outfielder like Jose Siri on a cheap one-year deal or look for a glove-first complementary type on the trade market. Tyrone Taylor (Mets), Jacob Young (Nationals), Blake Perkins (Brewers) and Dane Myers (Marlins) are a few speculative glove-first possibilities who shouldn’t require a huge prospect return if the O’s go that route.
Orioles Notes: Eflin, Bradish, Wells, Mountcastle
The Orioles announced this morning that right-hander Zach Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. The season-ending back surgery was announced last week, and this morning’s procedure went as expected, per the team. Eflin is hopeful of having a “normal” offseason after about 12 weeks, but recovery from this type of procedure can take anywhere from four to eight months. Every instance is different, of course, and there’s no real way to tell just how long Eflin will be down until he begins the rehab process.
This was a disaster season for the 31-year-old Eflin, who’s been limited to 14 starts and 71 1/3 innings by a lat strain and this back issue — an injury he revealed has bothered him on and off for several years. He posted a dismal 5.93 ERA when on the field — miles away from the 3.54 mark he posted in 343 innings for the Rays and Orioles during the first two seasons of his current three-year, $40MM contract (2023-24).
Eflin said last week that he was very open to a return to the Orioles. Whether the team pursue that option remains to be seen, but the O’s will clearly be in the market for arms this offseason. Eflin is a free agent, as is righty Tomoyuki Sugano. Fellow right-hander Charlie Morton was traded to the Tigers (and is a free agent at season’s end, too). Grayson Rodriguez won’t pitch this season after undergoing a debridement procedure in his elbow. The O’s have Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Brandon Young all controlled through next year. Righties Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish can hopefully contribute down the stretch after they wrap up their rehab from last year’s UCL procedures, but a return to full health and prior levels of performance can’t simply be assumed.
Bradish, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, is expected to make one final rehab start before he returns from what will end up being about a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery. He’s made five minor league starts and pitched to a 4.67 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 17 1/3 innings thus far. Wells, who had internal brace surgery around the same time as Bradish had his own operation, has made four rehab starts and pitched 13 innings of 2.03 ERA ball with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates to those of his teammate (28.3%, 7.5%). Bradish is controlled three more years beyond the current season. Wells is controlled for two more years.
Elsewhere on the roster, Ryan Mountcastle is facing some roster uncertainty of his own. The longtime Baltimore first baseman missed more than two months with a hamstring injury, and he returned to a very different roster. The O’s sold off veterans Morton, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the trade deadline. Prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo are now getting legitimate auditions to show they can be long-term contributors at Camden Yards.
The presence of both Mayo and Basallo has and will continue to cut into Mountcastle’s playing time. The 28-year-old Mountcastle chatted with Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner about his reduced role, stating that he took it in stride and will be eager to help Mayo or Basallo with any questions or insight they might seek down the stretch. “Whatever they need, whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do it,” Mountcastle said.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino told Kostka that he’ll try his best to be “creative” and get at-bats for Mayo, Basallo, Mountcastle and catcher Adley Rutschman to the extent possible. Basallo will be backing up Rutschman behind the plate but also factor in at first base and designated hitter — Mountcastle’s two positions.
From a bigger-picture standpoint, it’s increasingly fair to wonder about Mountcastile’s future outlook with the team. He’s eligible for arbitration for the final time this winter and will get a raise north of $7MM. He’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season. The O’s, as previously mentioned, are going to need to invest in the rotation this winter and, in Mayo and Basallo, now have younger pre-arbitration options to step in at first base and DH. It’s easy enough to see Mountcastle being traded or, depending on how he finishes, perhaps even non-tendered.
Mountcastle struggled tremendously prior to landing on the injured list, hitting just .246/.280/.348 in exactly 200 plate appearances before his injury. He’s had limited playing time but looked excellent upon his return. He hit .387/.486/.806 in nine rehab games (31 plate appearances) and, since returning, is 8-for-29 with two homers, a double, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. He’s slashing .276/.333/.517 in his first 33 plate appearances back on the big league roster and has even stolen a pair of bases (despite stealing just three in each of the past two seasons).
So far, anyway, the hamstring looks to be rehabilitated, and Mountcastle looks far better than he did early on. It bears reminding that from 2021-24, Mountcastle was a key factor in a terrific Baltimore lineup, hitting .260/.312/.447 with 86 home runs, 102 doubles and five triples. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s beat up left-handed pitching throughout his career and turned in slightly better-than-average results versus righties. He’s also a sound defensive first baseman. With a 2026 salary likely in the vicinity of $8MM, Mountcastle could be a nice short-term pickup for a team looking for a stopgap option at first base — if the Orioles elect to go with their up-and-coming bats at the position.
Orioles Sign Greg Allen To Major League Deal
The Orioles announced that they have signed outfielder Greg Allen to a major league deal. A roster spot was vacated earlier when infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján was claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Allen had been with the Cubs on a minor league deal but was released a few days ago, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The O’s also reinstated first baseman Ryan Mountcastle from the 60-day injured list and recalled outfielder Jordyn Adams. Those two will take the spots of outfielders Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill. Cowser has been placed on the seven-day concussion IL, retroactive to August 7, and O’Neill on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 6, due to right wrist inflammation. The O’s had 40-man vacancies for Mountcastle, so no corresponding move was required in that regard.
Allen has been playing fairly well for Triple-A Iowa this year, with a .270/.355/.440 line and 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances. He also stole 11 bases while playing all three outfield positions. Given that solid performance, it’s possible he opted out of that pact, rather than simply being released.
Regardless, the result is he gets an opportunity with the O’s. He has had big league chances before but without much success, having slashed .231/.300/.340 in 828 plate appearances from 2017 to 2023. However, he stole 48 bases in that time and got some strong marks for his glovework in the outfield.
The O’s opened up some playing time in their outfield recently. Ahead of the deadline, they traded both Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn to the Padres, in addition to flipping Cedric Mullins to the Mets. Calling up Heston Kjerstad would have made sense but he’s been shut down due to fatigue, per Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner.
Lately, Coswer, O’Neill, Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson have been sharing the outfield time. With Cowser and O’Neill now heading to the IL, Allen and Adams give them some other outfielders who can factor into the mix. Allen is out of options, so if the O’s want to remove him from the active roster at any point, he would need to be removed from the 40-man entirely.
As for Mountcastle, he’s looking to put a nice finish on what has otherwise been an awful year. He hit .246/.280/.348 in 52 games before a hamstring strain sent him to the IL at the end of May. The O’s can retain him for 2026 via arbitration but he likely needs to show them something good down the stretch for that to be a possibility. He is already making $6.787M this year. His results this year will hurt his earning power but he would be due at least a nominal raise.
He came into this year with a career .265/.316/.450 batting line and 111 wRC+. If he can hit like that for a few weeks, perhaps the O’s will bring him back next year. He’s in the designated hitter spot tonight with Coby Mayo playing first base.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images