The Orioles enter the 2024-25 offseason on the heels of a disappointing end to their season where they fell out of the AL East race late in the year before failing to win a playoff game against the Royals during the Wild Card Series. While that disappointing end to the season in conjunction with the impending free agencies of key pieces like Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander is surely worrisome for fans in Baltimore, there is one major silver lining regarding the club’s 2025 outlook: the impending return of closer Felix Bautista
Bautista, 29, was perhaps the single most dominant bullpen arm on the planet in 2023 when he made his first career All-Star appearance and pitched to a jaw-dropping 1.48 ERA with a 1.88 FIP with a ridiculous 46.4% strikeout rate in 61 innings of work. Unfortunately, the dominant closer underwent Tommy John surgery in early October of last year and missed not only the 2023 postseason but all of 2024, as well. He figures to be back on the mound for Baltimore in 2025, though, and MASN’s Roch Kubatko relayed earlier today that Bautista is currently on track to be “full-go” in time for Spring Training in February. That’s a great sign for the Orioles, particularly given the fact that their bullpen took a major step back this past year as they tried to replace Bautista in the closer role with veteran closer Craig Kimbrel, who pitched quite well in the first half of the season but fell apart in mid-July, surrendering an 11.50 ERA with a 7.44 FIP in his final 18 innings of work before being designated for assignment in September.
Bautista may not be the only boost the club’s bullpen gets entering next year, either. The Orioles paid a hefty price to acquire lefty Trevor Rogers from the Marlins, surrendering well-regarded youngsters Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to seal the deal. Rogers struggled badly in his first taste of action with the Orioles, however, surrendering 16 runs (15 earned) in 19 innings of work across four starts with the team before being demoted to Triple-A. That brutal stint in the club’s rotation raised some questions about the club’s future plans for Rogers, who is under control via arbitration through the end of the 2026 season. Kubatko offered some insight on the club’s thinking, noting that while the Orioles have not yet given up on the possibility that Rogers can pitch in the rotation the club also figures to weigh the value he could bring to the club as a long reliever.
That makes Rogers one of a handful of potential rotation options who will be fighting for a role with the big league club next spring. Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer all seem like to be part of the club’s rotation on Opening Day 2025, leaving two spots up for grabs. It seems likely that the Orioles will pursue an external addition either via free agency or on the trade market to fill at least one of those spots, but the club does have a handful of internal options for the back of their rotation even beyond Rogers. Albert Suarez enjoyed something of a breakout season in a swing role with the club at age-34, pitching to a solid 3.70 ERA in 133 2/3 innings of work this year while drawing 24 starts and making an additional eight relief appearances.
Other factors in the club’s rotation mix, if not out of Spring Training then at some point in 2025, figure to be youngsters Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott, both of whom made their big league debuts in 2024 to somewhat lackluster results. McDermott surrendered three runs on five hits (including a homer) and two walks while striking out three in four innings of work during his lone big league appearance this year, while Povich surrendered a 5.20 ERA with a 4.79 FIP in sixteen starts with the Orioles this year. Despite those bumpy debuts, however, the youngsters could still be utilized either as depth in the rotation or as long relief options out of the bullpen should they fail to earn a spot in the rotation out of camp this spring.
One other potential bullpen arm Kubatko suggests could be worth keeping an eye on is veteran right-hander Nick Anderson. Anderson, 34, was once a highly-regarded hurler for the Rays but missed time in recent years due to elbow surgery, plantar fasciitis, and shoulder issues. He pitched 35 2/3 innings for the Royals this year with a middling 4.04 ERA but a worrisome 5.06 FIP before being released by the Royals in late July. Anderson joined the Orioles on a minor league deal in the final days of August, but made just two appearances at the Triple-A level before being sidelined due to an injury and ultimately failed to make the big league club. While Anderson is currently scheduled to reach free agency following the World Series, Kubatko suggests that the club could look to re-sign him, presumably on a fresh minor league deal.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Imagine where the orioles would be if they traded for someone like yusei kikuchi or even Frankie Montas instead of Rogers
King Floch
We’d probably be exactly where we already are now: eliminated.
Burnes and Eflin gave us 2 shots at winning a ballgame but the bats completely ghosted them.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
If they had another good starter in the regular season they could’ve won the AL east and never had to go against the royals in a short series
King Floch
The starting pitching was not the reason for our late season swoon, it was primarily the offense.
jjleavelle
Doesn’t matter. You would just be delaying the inevitable. You still need to generate runs to win ball games. Our lack of hitting and scoring runs was a bigger factor by the end of the year than our pitching.
C Yards Jeff
Losing GRod to that lat thinger for the last 2 months was huge. That said; hitting was atrocious.
BaseballisLife
O’s were 6th in wRC+ in 2nd half. Pitching sank to 18th after being 6th in 1st half.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Add Hangnail and Dandruff to Nick Anderson’s woes…but he went to Dr. Vinny Boom Botz…Anderson was inteally rough shape….but he is okay now and ready to roll in 2025
King Floch
Bautista, Dominguez, Coulombe, Cano, and Soto could make for a pretty gnarly bullpen next year.
VA/NC Orioles
Firmly believe Rogers could regain his early career form with a trip to the famed “Driveline.” He doesn’t look like he relies upon huge 2 seam movement and he is consistently missing spots with his 91/92 mph heater. If he could regain some velo and get up to 94/95 that could make a big difference to him. He’s still at best a 4/5 starter even if they don’t resign Burnes.
Wanted to shout out Soto as well at end of season. Really righted the ship after early struggles in orange and black. Obviously bullpen arms are very hit or miss but he has potential to be a big piece next year if they keep him.
King Floch
Yeah, I also hope we don’t non-tender Soto this offseason. I think it is worth the modest investment to see if the guy we saw after his initial struggles after the trade was the real deal, because that guy would be a nice weapon in the late innings next year.
Blackpink in the area
The Orioles need to show more of a sense of urgency in 2025 and I mean both the higher ups as well as the players. The talent is there but 2024 was a step back. Winning a playoff series would have went a long way towards their legitimacy but they couldn’t get it done in 2024. Either spend money or make some more big trades they gotta do something.
King Floch
If any non-NY/LA/other big market team was going to swoop in and hijack the Soto sweepstakes, the Orioles are probably the team that makes the most sense- zero long-term contract commitments; tons of cheap, cost-controlled, high end talent; a vacancy in RF (and a snug home RF for a guy with fairly poor range); the need for an elite professional hitter in the 3 hole to keep the entire offensive engine pumping and purring; very few obvious places to upgrade; tons of money (hypothetically) available.
It won’t happen of course, but if Dave plans to flex at all as an owner, Soto is probably the guy to target.
Blackpink in the area
I agree he’s a great fit but the Yankees are going to sign Soto.
King Floch
I have the Mets on my bingo card but I agree that it isn’t going to happen.
It just shouldn’t be for lack of effort, IMO.
Dice 66
Pitching, Pitching!! Trade for some. Pirates loaded with young mlb ready pitchers. Trade a couple bat’s for some.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Mayo and Kjerstad for Emerson Hancock and Bryce Miller.
jbigz12
Hancock stinks.
Dice 66
Pirates can put together better than that!
MacGromit
Hoping for the best this off-season… love this kind of answer from Rubenstein when it comes to the balance between the business and fandom of ownership. Later in the interview, he notes that he’s 75 and isn’t likely to have 20 more years to field a champion team so he may have to “speed up” the process.
The man doesn’t make stupid business decisions but he understands that running a team like Fisher and Reinsdorf, who are trying to maximize their rate of return, isn’t really the best way to go either.
Hoping for a solid offseason even if not spectacular (Burnes re-signing would be spectacular).
Heading into the offseason, this is so refreshing versus John Angelos’ verbal diarrhea in the past.
—
From a recent NPR interview:
“RUBENSTEIN: Well, it is a business and has been in business since the time that professional baseball was created, but it’s not a business that is as profitable as other things that you could do with your money. If I wanted to maximize the amount of money that I was going to put into this kind of venture, I could put that amount of money into venture capital or private equity and probably make a higher rate of return. So the highest rate of return isn’t what you do when you’re looking to invest in a baseball team. There’s psychic benefits. You enjoy being a fan.”
BaseballisLife
That is one of the most encouraging things a fan could hear from an owner. The other is that they will let the baseball people do there jobs and not interfere. Rubenstein has said both.
jbigz12
“ I could put that amount of money into venture capital or private equity and probably make a higher rate of return”
Exactly this. I’ve been saying that. Rubinstein doesn’t need the orioles to make money like John Angelos did. The law firm wasn’t making anywhere near the amount of money it used to from the class action asbestos suits. He ran the O’s to make more money.
I doubt Elias will go stupid and I don’t think he should but Rubinstein can spend and plug holes. Welcome change for sure.
SweetBabyRayKingsThickThighs
Teach the bullpen how to throw the Roger Beshens Football Slider for improved results.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Not until robotic ligaments in the elbow become standardized.
TerryTurnbuckle
Baltimore finds a way to ruin everything, Their futility continues with the Red Sox and Blue Jays both dramatically improving leaving them to battle the Traveling Rays for the cellar.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
That was a stupendous troll job, haha, yikes
joeflaccosunibrow
How is Anderson worth keeping an eye on? He’s 34 and not likely to discover how to pitch now. Maybe Kubatko’s brother-in-law has a last name of Anderson?
gr81t2
A big nothing article.