BALTIMORE -- The Orioles accomplished the first item on their offseason to-do list on Monday, when they announced the hiring of Craig Albernaz as their new manager.
Albernaz, who previously served as the Guardians’ associate manager and spent two seasons on Cleveland’s staff, will be tasked with trying to lead Baltimore to a bounce-back year in 2026. Coming off a disappointing 75-win campaign, the O’s are motivated to make that happen, but they’ll need to have a productive offseason and fill the holes on their roster.
Here’s everything to know about Baltimore’s offseason.
Which players are free agents?
Right-hander Zach Eflin, catcher Gary Sánchez and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
Are any of them likely to receive a qualifying offer, and what is the deadline for that?
None of Baltimore’s free agents are likely to receive the $22.025 million qualifying offer ahead of the Nov. 18 deadline. Eflin and Sugano are candidates to re-sign and return as rotation depth.
Which players have an option, what’s the dollar figure and impact on payroll and when does it need to be decided upon?
Infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo has a $5.5 million team option and left-hander Dietrich Enns has a $3 million team option. The deadline is five days after the conclusion of the World Series.
It feels unlikely the Orioles would pay that much to Mateo, who has been limited to 110 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and has struggled to perform offensively. The decision on Enns could go either way, as the club needs as much pitching depth as possible and the 34-year-old had success as a multi-inning reliever during the second half of 2025.
