The Orioles are looking for an impact hitter, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko added that the outfield is the most likely area for Baltimore to add because of their location behind home plate and in the infield.
The O’s just finished a disappointing 2025 season. After making the playoffs the previous two seasons, they fell to the bottom of the AL East this year with a 75-87 record. Their lack of rotation depth is a big part of it, but the roster isn’t very good either. The team collectively hit .235/.305/.394. The resulting 96 wRC+ was better than nine clubs in the major leagues.
As mentioned before, the outfield is probably the best place to add a hard hit. Cedric Mullins, Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn All were sold before the deadline. They may reject the 5.5MM club option Jorge Mateo. This leaves the O’s outfield mix to include: Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neal, Dylan Carlson, Heston Shellstad, Dylan Beavers and Jeremiah Jackson.
After the Mullins trade, Cowser took over the midfield duties. His glove work was passable, but his offense was down from the year before. He posted a 119 wRC+ in 2024 with a .242/.321/.447 line, but finished with a .196/.269/.385 line and an 83 wRC+ in 2025. He missed April and May with a broken thumb and then suffered a broken rib in June, but he still played. Getting healthy may be all he needs to bounce back, but he’s a question mark right now.
O’Neal also had an injury-plagued season, which is pretty normal for him. He only played 54 games and only had more than 113 games in one season in his career. He can opt out of the two-year deal with $33MM remaining, but after hitting .199/.292/.392 in 2025, he has little incentive to do so. Maybe next year he’ll rotate the designated hitter position more frequently to limit wear and tear.
Carlson played in 83 games but hit just .203/.278/.336. Shelstad is trying to find answers related to some unreported medical conditions. The Beavers and Jackson both had good runs down the stretch, but still had less than 50 major league games under their belts.
Kubatko believes that given the uncertainty surrounding Cowser, outside acquisitions should be able to play a central role. possible Enrique Bradfield He will take over the job in the long term, but Kubatko mentioned that he has some hamstring issues, which is a concern since speed is such a big part of his game. He has only played in 15 Triple-A games and may need more time.
There aren’t a ton of players on the center field free agent market who could be classified as impact bats. Cody Bellinger It’s been a good year, but he may be a product of the short porch at Yankee Stadium. Regardless, he’ll likely be leaning toward a nine-figure deal, and it’s hard to count on the O’s offering it. Trent Grisham He’s having a fantastic season, but the season before him was difficult, which makes it reasonable to wonder if this was a blip.
After that there are fewer choices. Harrison Bader There have been some good results this year, but mostly from high batting averages at bats in games. Re-signing Mullins is an option, but he’s been terrible this year. louis robert jr. Should be available on the trade market, but his health has been poor for a few years. Jalen Duran There have been plenty of trade rumors, but the Red Sox haven’t traded him yet, and they likely won’t pull the trigger on their division rival. Maybe Alec Thomas or Brenton Doyle Probably, but they’re both coming off bad offensive seasons.
Perhaps first base will be another area the O’s can add, depending on their plans for the players currently on the roster. Adley Rutschmann Will continue to be the primary catcher. Then you can leave Samuel Barsalo Spends a lot of time at DH or first base. If Barcalo were to play in a cold corner, this could impact the likes of Kobe Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle. Mayo wasn’t having a great year, but he was at least strong, posting a .223/.316/.424 line and a 109 wRC+ in the second half. Mountcastle looks like a poor candidate due to a poor season and a projected salary of $7.8MM.
Even without Mountcastle, finding hitters could be difficult. Rutschmann, Barsalo and Mayo could coexist at three positions, one at catcher, one at first base and another at DH, although that doesn’t leave a ton of room for O’Neal and other players to rotate the DH position. If the O’s feel Mayo and/or Barsalo need more time in the minors, then perhaps pursuing the first baseman is more feasible. There are more impact bats there, market characteristics Pete Alonso, Josh NaylorO’Hearn, Rhys Hoskins, Luis Alaes and others. old friend Lewin Diaz Hit 50 home runs in Korea this year. Trade market may feature bats Christian Walker, Triston Casas and Jack Burger.
As far as wages go, O can technically do a variety of things. They have few future commitments on their books. RosterResource said their 2025 payroll is $1.6 million, but next year’s payroll is expected to be only $690,000. However, they haven’t been aggressive in free agency of late. O’Neal’s contract is the only multi-year deal the franchise has signed with a free agent since Mike Elias took over the front office seven years ago.
Photos by James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
