The Orioles will take your call. That doesn't mean they're shopping their stars.
Speaking Tuesday at MLB's General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias addressed a week of speculation about Baltimore's young core, acknowledging the front office is listening on nearly everyone while making clear that a teardown is not the plan.
"A lot of our key, core players are very unlikely to go anywhere," Elias told reporters.
Elias appeared alongside Jared Banner, who was introduced as the Orioles' new general manager on Oct. 27 and is working his first offseason with Elias. Together, they outlined an offseason built around rebuilding the rotation, adding outfield power and cleaning up a defense that cost Baltimore too many games in 2026 — all with a possible lockout less than three weeks away.
Listening Isn't the Same as Selling
The trade talk started early this month, when The Baltimore Banner reported that the Orioles were open to offers on every player except first baseman Pete Alonso. Elias didn't push back on that report Tuesday, but he drew a sharp line between answering the phone and actively looking to move players.
"We're talking to everybody about everything right now. I've seen reporting on this front, and I have not disputed it because it's part of our job — especially if a guy is not on a big, long-term contract, we've got to listen," Elias said. "But it doesn't mean we're motivated to trade players. It doesn't mean we're proactive. And it definitely doesn't mean anything is going to happen. But we're gathering information here, and I don't hang up the phone, usually, when people ask about players."
The name at the center of most of that speculation has been Gunnar Henderson. The 25-year-old shortstop is two seasons from free agency and coming off a disappointing 2026 in which he hit .225 with 24 home runs and a .712 OPS. Elias expressed full confidence in a rebound.
"I fully expect he's going to have a much better season this year. We're certainly going to do everything we can to work with his camp and support his offseason development," Elias said. "He'll be back in the saddle."
The more realistic trade candidates are likely to come from areas of surplus. The infield is the one spot Elias and Banner said they feel truly comfortable with, and third base is crowded with Jordan Westburg returning from Tommy John surgery, along with Coby Mayo, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Blaze Alexander. Baltimore's farm system — ranked as high as second in the sport — also gives the front office plenty of prospect capital. Our offseason tracker breaks down who could realistically be moved.
The Shopping List
Elias and Banner were consistent about what Baltimore needs: a front-line starting pitcher, outfielders, left-handed relief and catching depth.
Starting pitching: Elias said the Orioles could add more than one starter. Baltimore's rotation posted a 4.24 ERA in 2026, 17th in the majors, and two of its starters, Trevor Rogers and Chris Bassitt, are now free agents. Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish and Brandon Young are the only locks.
Outfield: Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers and Tyler O'Neill all hit below league average last season, and a right-handed bat with power is a priority.
Catcher: Elias said the team is comfortable with Samuel Basallo and Carlos Narváez but could add a depth option or two. Narváez, one of five players acquired from Boston in the Adley Rutschman trade, hit just .104 in 33 games for Baltimore. Elias still expects him to be part of the plan. "His track record at the plate's a lot better than what he did this season, especially in the second half," Elias said. "I know he's working on that. I think we'll get a better version of him."
The Orioles also aren't locking themselves into one path. "We definitely have the ability to use dollars to improve the roster, whether that's free agency or trading for players that are under larger contracts," Elias said. "We're not biased in one direction or the other this year. So just whatever player we like the best, whatever move we like the best, that's what we'll do."
Banner echoed that. "We're open to all possibilities. We have to be," he said. "We owe it to the fans of the team to exhaust all potential opportunities."
Orioles Want Trevor Rogers Back
Baltimore's top internal priority is left-hander Trevor Rogers, who went 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA and 157 strikeouts across 30 starts in 2026. The Orioles extended him the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer on Nov. 2, and he has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 17, to accept or decline. He is widely expected to decline and test the market, where projections range from roughly $19 million to just over $24 million a year, with some in the industry expecting a deal of four years or more.
"We'd like to retain him," Elias said. "We'll have to let the QO process play out, but it's about to be an open market here for both sides, and I think both sides will explore that market. But he was terrific for us the last year and a half, and having a big, power lefty like that fits in so well with our rotation, and we know what a great guy he is behind the scenes, so I'm going to be talking to them and doing our best."
If Rogers declines and signs elsewhere, Baltimore would receive a compensatory draft pick. He ranks fourth on our top 25 free agent rankings.
Rumor Mill: Meetings With Scott Boras
Elias said the front office had a packed schedule of meetings with agents in Las Vegas. According to The Baltimore Banner, that included Scott Boras, whose clients include outfielder Randy Arozarena and left-hander Tarik Skubal.
Skubal, the best free agent on the market, likely sits beyond Baltimore's price range. Arozarena is a more plausible fit. Coming off a .281 season with 26 home runs and 26 steals for Seattle, he fills the right-handed power need and could see time at designated hitter. Signing him would cost the Orioles a draft pick, since the Mariners extended him a qualifying offer.
Fixing the Defense
Baltimore led the majors in unearned runs allowed in 2026, and both executives said that has to change.
"The key for us is, we want to have a good defender on the field at every position," Banner said, "and any way we can create that ability, we'll definitely investigate."
Elias pointed to three fronts: harder work from players, better roster construction from the front office, and improved positioning through analytics. He acknowledged it has been a recurring problem.
"I know this has been a theme the last couple years, and our defense has been worse than it should be," Elias said. "It's not because we don't care about it or a lack of emphasis on it, I just think we need to execute better on all of those fronts that I named, and I'm confident we've come across some tools in the last year or so that should help us going forward."
Infielders Could Move to the Outfield
One creative way the Orioles may address their outfield and defensive issues: using surplus infielders on the grass. Elias confirmed the team has talked with some infielders about getting outfield work this winter and in spring training, though he declined to name them.
"I'd rather not get into the details of it right now, but we have talked to some guys about — not a full position change, but flexing out into the outfield a little bit next spring, having those conversations," Elias said.
Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo would be among the most logical candidates.
Pitching Prospects 'Better Than It's Been'
The Orioles' search for rotation help comes with a safety net. Elias called the organization's crop of pitching prospects "better than it's been since I've been here," with many of them already in the upper minors.
"We're pretty happy with the quality and quantity of pitching prospects we have right now," Elias said. "A lot of them are in Double and Triple-A, which is really nice for us. We don't want to put ourselves in a position where we're relying on that too heavily next year, but it is a help."
Elias said right-hander Anthony Eyanson, the headliner of the Rutschman trade, has a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Eyanson posted a 1.54 ERA over 99 1/3 minor league innings in 2026 and finished at Double-A Chesapeake. Right-hander Michael Forret and left-handers Caden Hunter and Joseph Dzierwa could also reach Baltimore in 2027. All four rank in the top 10 of our Orioles top 30 prospects.
Coaching Staff Returning, Shildt Stays
Elias said the Orioles plan to bring back manager Craig Albernaz's entire major league coaching staff for 2027, barring promotions elsewhere.
"Our plan is for the entirety of the staff to come back," Elias said. "We're still at a point in the year where other teams could hire from our staff. But at this point in time, we have arrangements to bring everyone back, and we're happy about that continuity."
The Orioles are also keeping former Cardinals and Padres manager Mike Shildt, who joined the organization last winter as upper-level minor league coordinator of instruction. He will return to help lead the club's on-field education, The Banner reported Tuesday — a role that ties directly to the front office's push to clean up fundamentals and defense.
Key Orioles Offseason Dates
Nov. 17, 4 p.m. ET: Deadline for Trevor Rogers to accept or decline the qualifying offer. It's also the deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft; Aron Estrada, who hit 25 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A, is expected to be added to the 40-man roster.
Nov. 20, 8 p.m. ET: Non-tender deadline. Henderson, Westburg, Félix Bautista and Cowser are all expected to be tendered contracts.
Dec. 1, 11:59 p.m. ET: MLB's collective bargaining agreement expires. A lockout is widely expected, which would freeze signings and trades involving 40-man roster players.
Follow every move on our Orioles offseason tracker.