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Jul 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias reacts on the field before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Orioles' top executive reveals offseason plan to add starting pitching

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Ezra Lombardi | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 5:00 PM ET

In the midst of a disappointing season for the Baltimore Orioles, a clear bright spot was the performance of their frontline starting pitcher.

Returning in June from a partial kneecap dislocation he suffered in January, Trevor Rogers pitched like a true ace for Baltimore. Across 18 starts, Rogers had the second-lowest ERA (1.81) among all pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. The O's were 13-5 in games that he pitched despite their 75-87 overall record.

With Rogers penciled in, a key focus this offseason will be figuring out how to shape the rotation around him. So far in his tenure as the primary decision maker in Baltimore, Mike Elias has yet to sign a free agent pitcher to a multi-year contract.

Last November, Elias said that he was considering all options for adding starting pitching, including high-end, long-term free agent deals. Instead, he delivered one-year deals for 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, as 2024 ace Corbin Burnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But close to a year later, Elias is seemingly fanning the flame once again. In an appearance on the MLBTR Podcast with Darragh McDonald, the club's new president of baseball operations declared that they will not rule out any long-term pitching investments.

Mike Elias said on @mlbtraderumors podcast that the Orioles don’t want to “take that off the table,” re: of big pitching investments.

He noted that clubs are “very aware” of injury risk, but the best arms are “always going to command long deals, and that’s the price of poker”
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) October 1, 2025

Mike Elias hints at desire to sign a big-name starting pitcher

Early in the interview, when asked about his reputation as an unwilling participant in multi-year pitching contracts, Elias rebuffed the idea that his club was opposed to that kind of commitment.

"We have made offers to sign pitchers to multi-year deals," he told McDonald. "So, it's not a real fair reflection of our total philosophy."

Establishing that, Elias went on to hint at this trend not continuing for much longer.

"I can't make any promises or guarantees," Elias explained. "But that's certainly not a hard and fast philosophy of ours... the very best pitchers that are available in free agency are always going to command long deals and that's the price of poker when you're trying to get those types of talents, and we don't want to take that off the table by any means."

While Elias's track record with the Orioles doesn't support the idea that he will be a big spender in free agency, smoke has been building around the idea that the organization will take a stab at a big-name pitcher this offseason. On Sunday, USA Today insider Bob Nightengale stated that people around the league believe that Baltimore will be the "most aggressive team looking for pitching this winter."

Nightengale: Orioles will be the most aggressive team looking for pitching this offseason.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 28, 2025

The prediction lines up with several front-line starters set to hit free agency including Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, Zac Gallen, Michael King, and Dylan Cease, who the club has already been linked to this offseason. The club could also look to pursue pitching through a trade with names like Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcantara expected to be available, but their organizational commitment to develop talent through the farm system and reluctance to trade prospects could be a roadblock in this type of move.

The production that Rogers brought in 2025 is a great sign for the future of the Orioles, and could take pressure off of Elias in the offseason pitching sweepstakes. But if they do choose to take a stab at a high-end starter, Rogers could be a huge factor as a No. 2 rotation option in a potential bounce-back season.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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