Baltimore narrowly missed out on a top pitcher this past offseason.
The Baltimore Orioles were in the market for a top-of-the-rotation arm this offseason, and it turns out they came closer to landing one than most people realized.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Orioles are believed to have made an offer around $125 million to left-hander Ranger Suarez during free agency.
Given that Suarez signed a five-year, $130 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, it seems likely that Baltimore's proposal was also a five-year commitment at roughly $25 million per year.
Close, But Not Close Enough
The Orioles fell just $5 million short of matching what the Red Sox offered, and that small gap ended up sending the 30-year-old lefty to an AL East rival instead.
Suarez posted a 3.20 ERA across 26 starts in 2025 while owning a career 1.48 ERA in 11 postseason appearances, so it is easy to see why Baltimore had interest.
The report from Heyman does not say when the Orioles made their offer, but Suarez did not sign with Boston until more than a month after Baltimore's Shane Baz trade went through on December 19.
That suggests Baltimore was still pursuing high-end pitching even after addressing the rotation through the trade market.
What Baltimore Did Instead
Rather than landing Suarez, the Orioles built out their rotation through other means.
They traded four prospects and a draft pick to the Rays for right-hander Shane Baz in December, then signed veteran Chris Bassitt to a one-year, $18.5 million deal.
Baltimore will enter 2026 with a projected front five of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Baz, Bassitt, and Zach Eflin, with Dean Kremer likely in the mix if everyone stays healthy.
The Orioles went 75-87 in 2025, finishing last in a loaded AL East, so the front office felt the urgency to improve.
Mike Elias also made a major splash by signing first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract, the club's first nine-figure free agent deal under his watch.
A Busy Offseason With More to Prove
Until this past offseason, the Orioles had never signed a free agent to a deal worth $50 million or more under Elias, so the Alonso deal and the Suarez offer both show a real shift in spending philosophy.
They also reportedly offered Corbin Burnes four years and $180 million before he signed with the Diamondbacks, so the front office was open to multiple large contracts in the same winter.
The Red Sox, who went 89-73 and made the Wild Card in 2025, won the Suarez sweepstakes and added him to a rotation that already features Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Sonny Gray.
For Baltimore, the missed opportunity stings, but the front office did not sit still after coming up short.
The Orioles are working through spring training in Sarasota ahead of their March 26 opener against the Twins, and expectations are much higher heading into 2026.