Good morning Birdland,
A new era of Orioles baseball is upon us. On Friday, the team formally introduced their new slugger, first baseman Pete Alonso, to the city of Baltimore. It really was a glorious moment.
Alonso, donning a black suit with an orange belt and matching pocket square, was everything you want your new $155-million man to be. He came off as extremely genuine. He explained how the Orioles made him feel valued. He took a goofy photo with the Oriole Bird. He spoke Spanish! As far as press
conferences go, it was a very good one.
David Rubenstein, the Orioles control person, put the Alonso signing into some intriguing, Baltimore-focused context during the presser by comparing the newly-signed first baseman to Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson. There are certainly some parallels. Like Robinson, Alonso is coming from an organization where he was an icon, and both donned the number 20 jersey. But they were both also unceremoniously shown the door when that organization no longer thought their value and salary lined up. If Alonso can also win the two World Series titles that Robinson captured during his time in Baltimore, his contract will be worth many times its current-day value.
Now, while it would be nice to bask in the glory of this one exciting piece of business, the reality is that the Orioles still have work to do this winter. Mike Elias has acknowledged as much, and reporters were already asking those questions during the presser.
There are more minor needs, like reinforcing the bullpen and maybe adding an everyday center field option. But, by far, the team’s biggest need is in its rotation. Adding one legitimate arm is a requirement. It would be even better if they could add two.
The pitching market hasn’t developed all that fast. Dylan Cease signed a big deal with the Blue Jays, and the Red Sox traded for Sonny Gray. But that has been about it. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, Tatsuya Imai, and Michael King are the biggest names in free agency. Who’s on the trading block is a big mystery. If the Tigers aren’t going to trade Tarik Skubal, there may not be much to add, unless you are willing to pay an exorbitant price. The Orioles, under Elias, have never done that.
But what the team has done in previous off-seasons doesn’t seem to be the best indicator of what they will do now. Elias is getting bold. Trading Grayson Rodriguez for one year of Taylor Ward was surprising. Giving Alonso $155 million was even more so. Now that ownership is financially backing a budget increase, we may be seeing Elias at his full potential. It’s a lot of fun. Rubenstein even said in the press conference that the team has not put Elias under any specific constraint. So, go get another big fish, Mike!
Who knows when the next move happens. It’s tough to envision the Orioles making two big free agent deals in a single offseason. Maybe they will finally land a free agent pitcher that is wilingl to take a short-term, high-AAV deal like Elias offered Corbin Burnes last winter. Or perhaps they will continue to sign older pitchers to those smaller deals, which has been Elias’ comfort zone throughout his tenure.
What does seem like a guarantee is that they will do…something! That hasn’t always been a forgone conclusion in prior offseasons.
Links
‘No hesitation at all’: Alonso all-in on Orioles’ blueprint for winning | MLB.com
Alonso seemed extremely confident in signing with the Orioles. I would be curious to know Mike Elias’ perspective since we know they offered Kyle Schwarber nearly the same money just a day prior to landing Alonso. How did he view the two players? Is he content with Alonso, or bummed about Schwarber? We probably won’t get a reliable answer on that any time soon.
Mets booted Pete Alonso to Baltimore, where he’s ‘all in’ as Orioles savior | USA Today
Holy incendiary headline, Batman! Alonso is (probably) going to be the Orioles highest-paid player in 2026, but he is unlikely to be their best. That mantle belongs to Gunnar Henderson, and there could even be several other players in-between Henderson and Alonso in the year-end WAR leaderboard when it’s all done. He alone is not saving this team. But his presence is a message to the rest of the organization. The front office isn’t messing around. They want to win in 2026.
Elias on Alonso joining Orioles: ‘We have arguably the best batting lineup in Major League Baseball right now’ | Baltimore Baseball
If the returning players bounce back to their 2024 form, then yes. It is possible that these guys are the absolute best. But that could be a tall task, especially since some of them also struggled in the second half of 2024. The Orioles have to be hoping that an injection of talent, a change in the coaching staff, and a healthy offseason for all makes a big difference.
Pete Alonso arrives in Baltimore, bringing a palpable buzz to Orioles | The Baltimore Banner
As this piece notes, the contract was a signal to everyone—the city of Baltimore, players around the league, and agents of those players—that the Orioles are stepping up. That’s a big deal.
Some Orioles roster rumblings with important decisions looming | Roch Kubatko
Roch takes a quick run through the roster, particularly the position players. Barring injury, the Orioles are at 14 hitters that you could reasonably expect to be on the Opening Day roster. Jeremiah Jackson is pencilled in as the utility man, but do the Orioles like his glove enough on the infield to go with that? And there is the obvious log jam at first base. Does it make sense to go into the season with both Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo on the team?
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Carson Fulmer turns 32 today. He pitched in three games for the 2020 Orioles.
- Austin Slater is 33 years old. The Orioles added him at the 2024 trade deadline to be a lefty-mashing outfield option.
- The late Billy Loes (b. 1929, d. 2010) was born on this day. The swingman spent parts of four seasons with the Orioles from 1956-59, including an all-star campaign in ‘57.
- A posthumous celebration for Hank Majeski (b. 1916, d. 1991). He wrapped up his 13-season MLB career with a 16-game stint on the 1955 Orioles.
This day in O’s history
1994 – Lee Smith, the league leader in saves last year, leaves the Orioles and signs a two-year deal with the Angels.
2001 – The Orioles acquire pitcher Chris Brock from the Phillies for pitcher John Wasdin.
2018 – The Orioles select shortstop Richie Martin with the top pick in the Rule 5 Draft. He would stick with the Orioles organization for the four following seasons, but would never hit enough to establish himself in the majors.
