Mike Elias Makes Admission on Baltimore Orioles Starting Rotation

The Baltimore Orioles need starting pitching, and the front office is going to address it this offseason.

President of baseball operations Mike Elias made that clear during the team’s media availability on Tuesday. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reported that Elias said the team is looking at clear rotation upgrades and adding starters is “on the menu” this offseason. It is the most direct the organization has been about addressing a rotation that hurt Baltimore throughout 2026.

Baltimore’s starting staff posted a 4.24 ERA in 2026, ranking 17th in MLB, with a 1.384 WHIP and quality starts in only 38.5% of outings. Shane Baz led the team in innings with 179 2/3. Trevor Rogers led the group with 15 quality starts. Those are not numbers that carry a team deep into October, let alone through the American League East.

The results showed in the standings. Baltimore finished 79-82, fourth in the division and 18.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who won the AL East at 98-64.

The Yankees went 93-68. The Red Sox finished 87-75. The Orioles scored 718 runs and allowed 739, finishing with a minus-21 run differential. A rotation that kept games closer changes that equation.

 The Orioles can pursue upgrades through trades, target the free agent market, or combine both approaches. No specific names or completed deals have been confirmed. What Elias has made clear is that the organization recognizes the problem and is prepared to spend resources to fix it.

The rotation decisions start with Trevor Rogers. Baltimore’s most reliable starter in 2026 is heading into free agency, and the two sides have not yet reached a deal. Losing him without a replacement would make a bad situation worse. Re-signing him should be the first order of business.

From there, the options get interesting. Freddy Peralta is hitting the market as a free agent, and Baltimore adding him would do double damage, pulling an arm away from the Rays while strengthening their own staff.

Tarik Skubal is the most talented arm available in free agency, and while the Orioles would likely need to outbid a long line of contenders to land him, he is the kind of ace that changes a rotation overnight.

Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins makes sense as a trade candidate. The Twins have shown a willingness to move starting pitching when the price is right.

The market has options. Elias has the resources and the organizational depth to pursue them. The Orioles have no excuse not to be aggressive.