Orioles' internal bullpen options entering the offseason

While Keegan Akin did well as Baltimore's fill-in closer to end the season, the Orioles may look for a more proven option to cover the ninth while Bautista rehabs from his shoulder surgery. Baltimore also moved on from several relievers during their in-season sell off, sending Gregory Soto to the New York Mets and Andrew Kittredge to the Chicago Cubs among other moves, leaving more holes to fill entering the offseason.

How do things stand in Baltimore as they get ready to gear up for the offseason? Let's break down the O's internal options for the bullpen and see how many relievers they will actually need to acquire entering the offseason.

Baltimore's internal options for the bullpen entering the offseason

Elias' fire sale left no pending free agents in the relief corps, but there are plenty of key arbitration decisions that need to be made. Perhaps the largest centers on Bautista's long time running mate, setup man Yennier Cano, who went 3-7 with a 5.12 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP in 58 innings pitched. Those numbers are dramatically worse than both his 2023 and 2024 totals and Cano is arbitration eligible for the first time, projected to earn roughly $1.2 million in 2026.

That salary figure is low enough to take another chance on Cano's talent, especially with a new changeup grip that he developed late in the season showing some promise in September. Although it would be dicey to ask Cano to be in the closing mix while Bautista is out, he can offer value in middle relief with the chance of recapturing some of the form that made him an All-Star in 2023.

The next big call will come with Bautista, who is also arbitration eligible and due to make roughly $1.9 million in 2026. The smart decision here is probably to tender him and allow Bautista to rehab this season, with an eye towards having him re-assume the closer role in 2027. There is still the possibility that the 30-year-old is able to pitch near the end of the season, although such a scenario looks unlikely.

A lot of the Orioles' relievers under contract are arbitration eligible, including Akin, righty Albert Suarez and lefty Jose Castillo; the latter was acquired in-season and showed some promise in September. Akin has one year of club control left before free agency but is the team's most proven bullpen option, so he should stay put, while Suarez and Castillo could be non-tendered if the Orioles feel they can upgrade on their roster spots.

There are also plenty of pre-arbitration arms who could factor into the bullpen mix. Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia were both nice surprises in the second half after being acquired in a trade with the Tigers and off waivers from the Mets, respectively. Enns could compete with Castillo for a second lefty slot in the bullpen, and Garcia has a strong fastball while pitching to a 2.84 ERA in 20 appearances for Baltimore. Both can be on inside tracks on a middle relief role entering the season.

With that in mind, let's take a look at where things stand for Baltimore on the bullpen front in table form here:

The chart doesn't include Bautista since he will not factor in for most of the season and assumes a non-tender of Castillo, who is out of minor league options and would allow the Orioles to carry Enns at a cheaper rate. The group has a lot of potential depth but is heavily reliant on younger pitchers, which is a risky strategy in a rugged American League East.

While the Orioles could look to Akin to close to start the year, Elias should be interested in waiting out the relief market to offer his closer's role to a veteran on a one-year deal looking to re-establish their value. Two options that stand out include righty Ryan Helsley, who was a strong closer for the St. Louis Cardinals before struggling in a setup role for the Mets, and righty Devin Williams, who will likely look for a pillow contract to reset his value after a tough year with the New York Yankees.

Adding a player of that caliber would move everyone in the bullpen down a notch, which would help fit Akin and Cano into more suitable roles, while also giving Elias a player he can move at the deadline if Baltimore's season doesn't go according to plan. It would also make sense for Elias to bring in some veterans still looking for jobs around spring training on one-year deals, providing more experience to the bullpen and reducing the team's reliance on young players for so many key relief roles.