The breathless reporting about another Orioles critical offseason has begun, and the roster purge we predicted is underway.

Of course former second-overall pick Heston Kjerstad is a sunk cost and gone now (we told you that months ago), and no way they were picking up the options on Luis Robert, Ryan Mountcastle and Zach Eflin (they were not in our 2027 payroll projections from last month) and the moment broken closer Ryan Helsley got hurt last summer (I think it was the second time but it all runs together) we guaranteed you he’d be back for more cash in 2027, paid $15M to rehab.

Now he’s got the beat guys all stirred up. Everybody could go! Well everybody except the Polar Bear! Oh, and everyone except the Polar Bear and the one person who any cogent and half-decent front office with clue would be marking above and beyond anyone else – Gunnar Henderson. How does anybody take these people seriously? (We’re so bored with the fake GM, and wouldn't be surprised if notorious baseball mind Catie Griggs is behind their big covert offseason plans being written about now as they try to sell season tickets to bush-league baseball.)

But Elias has recognized, out loud, that he needs starting pitchers and at least one outfielder. We know he won’t spend big, we know when it comes to high-end pieces, he only wants to trade for rentals and we know he still fancies himself a baseball genius (and now he has four, yeah four, Assistant GMs telling him how brilliant he is on an hour-to-hour basis). So get ready for at least one dumpster dive looking for value.

We don’t believe this list is aiming too high. Numerous people in the industry have discussed these options with us on “The Daily Flock” and while we believe they badly need someone like Freddy Peralta signed for long-term to do the right thing to truly compete in 2027, they ain’t winning bidding wars and his postseason will put him beyond what we think Elias would ever consider. But this could work (especially if paired with this lineup projection):

1. Shane McClanahan

Already had the major surgery, was awesome this year until they backed off him in September. No risk it, no biscuit. One-year cheap enough rental, maybe with team option for 2028. Elias loves getting taken to the cleaners by the Rays in trade and Rays love finding the jewels in his farm system and he just reloaded at the deadline. This is not a pipedream and should not be treated as such.

Baltimore product, loves dominating at Camden Yards, is great in the AL East. We broke it all down as soon as the season ended. Let’s go.

2.     Kyle Bradish

This should be a Peralta or Michael King type. But do you really think it will be? Have you been paying attention to nearly a decade of feckless stewardship? Bradish needs to rediscover the touch and feel for his slider and there is reason to believe that is possible. Getting back his outpitch should limit the command/walk rate issues and allow him to go deeper into games in his second full season back from Tommy John surgery.

3.     Brandon Woodruff

Him getting a chance to pitch in the World Series – albeit in mop-up duty – is the kind of thing that will resonate with Elias. Serious injury risk, but this won’t be lighting $19M on fire like Chris Bassitt or Eflin or Charlie Morton. Elite pedigree and high-upside, even at this stage of his career, and a guy who could be the leader and sensi, too.

4.     Shane Baz

He’s an innings eater (Dean Kremer with a smidge more stuff you could dream on, ever so slightly) and this is where he should be slotted. Durable. Flashes of outings where he misses bats and makes you wonder if he ever put it all together what it could look like. I used to be a truther for him when I saw him pitch in the Eastern League as a Pirates farmhand, but now I am resigned to expecting 180 innings of (hopefully) league average-ish ERA+.

5.     Brandon Young/Luis De Leon

With the calvary allegedly coming in the minors with a handful of potential MLB future starters opening 2027 in AA or AAA, De Leon needs a path and I’m more interested in him as a starter than Trey Gibson at this point. Young will struggle to duplicate what he did last year, but I like him overall.

However, given where they are positioned now, the need to see more of the kids they have before the ones they just got in trade start getting closer to their promotion. Smart orgs have found all kinds of ways to keep six arms active in starting/quasi-starting roles. But, well, the Orioles aren’t very smart, are they?

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