As a Jays fan, I’ve always been cognizant of the fact that my fandom comes with a certain myopia. As a kid, what I knew of other teams outside of the American League was limited to what was pulled from baseball card and sticker packs (one year, every pack seemed to have a Ryne Sandberg who I know a lot about and have no recollection of seeing him play even a single game). As I got older and got into fantasy league baseball, it forced me to be a lot more aware of the rest of the sport and interleague
play meant I could actually see some of these players occasionally. But it wasn’t until I participated in Max Rieper’s SB Nation offseason simulation that I realized outside of the AL East, how shallow my understanding was of other team’s offseasons. I mean, I know broadly what a team like Detroit or Atlanta might need and the FAs attached to them, but at a deeper level, I’m still uninformed, despite consuming a lot more baseball content than most fans.
The idea of the View From Another Side series was about understanding other fanbases, their reactions to events, their priorities during the season, and getting a window into the prospects they’re hoping on, the guys at the back of the 26 man roster they are paying attention to, and essentially their view of their team from within the fandom. I thought it might be interesting to apply the same idea to the offseason.
I reached out to Tyler Young from Camden Chat, who was gracious enough to be the first person interviewed when I started to do the VftOS posts this season for us, and he agreed to be the guinea pig for me for a second time.
The Baltimore Orioles went into the 2025 expected to contend and were considered, along with the Yankees, the favourites to win the division. Instead, due to a number of factors, the were a non-factor for most of the season, finishing dead last in the division with a 75-87 record.
1. We’ll rip the bandage off right away. Obviously 2025 was the opposite of what Baltimore fans wanted and expected from this team. Now that the season is well in the rearview mirror, what key elements, good or bad, can the club and fanbase take away from the season?
What has concerned most Orioles fans coming out of last year is how nearly every position player on the roster regressed in 2025. Jackson Holliday is the only one that really improved, and even that wasn’t as big of a leap as many had hoped. Orioles EVP Mike Elias’ whole team-building philosophy is about investing in hitters and developing an unending “pipeline” of young talent. It felt like that pipeline ran dry in 2025.
That said, it is fair to say that the Orioles had really bad injury luck last season too. Again, Holliday was the only everyday player that didn’t have an IL stint. All of the other “stars” on the team missed time. The Orioles tied the record for most players used in a single MLB season (although the Braves then broke that record at the very end of the year). They had to use seven different catchers alone. You would bet on that not happening again.
The other positive to take away was the pitching development. While the org largely cleaned out the hitting department this winter, the pitching infrastructure is staying put, including at the major league level. It’s easy to see why. Trevor Rogers was incredible. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells both came back from elbow surgery and looked really good. And they had a few pitching prospects take big leaps. The Orioles have not had reliable starting pitching since the 1990s, so progress there would be massive.
2. Which players really took the biggest steps forward this year for the club?
Holliday looked far more mature at the plate. There were still the moments where he seemed overmatched, but he cut down on the strikeouts a ton and was way more patient.
To a lesser degree, Coby Mayo showed some good things towards the end of the year. The team gave him way more at-bats post-trade deadline, He was brutal in August, but then posted a .941 OPS in September.
On the mound, it’s all about Rogers. Orioles fans did not love that trade when it happened, and it was getting worse with how good Kyle Stowers looked in Miami last year. But the southpaw was amazing after he got healthy. Now fans want to give him an extension.
3. Baltimore moved pretty quickly, signing Leody Taveras and Ryan Helsley.and trading for Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Ward. What are the key needs moving forward and are they likely to be more aggressive in the FA market or in trade?
They need more starting pitching, especially after trading away Grayson Rodriguez. Elias has been pretty clear that he is seeking out an arm that would slot somewhere next to Rogers and Bradish in the rotation, plus a depth arm to eat innings. It would be nice to add one more veteran to the bullpen mix, and an everyday option in center field too.
It feels like they are going to get the starting pitching they want. They have been connected to every big name on the market, and both the front office and ownership have said that the money is there to be used. Elias even said he is comfortable with signing a qualifying offer player, something he is yet to do.
I honestly have no clue what their other plans are. They seem to be pretty serious about a potential Pete Alonso pursuit. There are rumors of them keeping tabs on Kyle Tucker too. This stuff feels outlandish to me, but Elias seems to have shifted into a different gear than prior offseasons
4. Which players from the existing roster do you think are most likely to moved in a trade during this offseason?
Rodriguez being dealt was a real shock. So it is tough to know who exactly is available and who isn’t. A lot will depend on other moves they may or may not make.
If they add someone like Alonso, that probably makes Mayo available. His prospect star may have dimmed a bit, but he’s probably still a centerpiece in a potential deal. If they add another outfield option, then either Colton Cowser or Dylan Beavers would probably be available.
5. From this point on, assuming you could put on the ‘accept all trades and signings’ button, what would an ideal but still realistic offseason be for you?
– Sign Gunnar Henderson to an extension
– Trade for Joe Ryan
– Sign Harrison Bader
– Sign Chris Bassitt
– Sign Tyler Rogers
6. Of the remaining FAs, which would fit best for the Orioles, even if it’s a bit of a stretch they’d land there?
Tatsuya Imai. Elias has been very clear since he took over the Orioles’ front office that he does not like signing free agent pitchers at the top of the market. That said, Imai offers a rare opportunity to get a pitcher in the middle of their prime. He is coming over from Japan, so there is risk in how his talent translates, but in Elias’ eyes it may be no riskier than signing a 32-year-old free agent on the way down.
Also, it’s worth wondering if the signing of Tomoyuki Sugano last year was done to lay the groundwork for a potential Imai deal. Sugano won’t be back with the Orioles in 2026, but it seemed like he enjoyed his time last year, and he is sort of a legend in Japan. That may have allowed the Orioles to establish some credit with players coming over from Asia.
Thanks Tyler!
Editors Note: Literally while writing this article, it was announced that Pete Alonso has agreed to a five-year, $155-million contract with the Orioles.
