3 free agent lefty relievers the Baltimore Orioles should target to solve an underrated need

There’s plenty of blame to go around for yet another disappointing season by the Baltimore Orioles, but you can’t put much of it on the bullpen.

Even without Felix Bautista, as he recovered from shoulder surgery, and Ryan Helsley for much of the year, the Orioles bullpen ranked sixth in fWAR on FanGraphs, with a 3.82 ERA and 3.74 FIP, which ranked 11th and sixth in baseball, respectively. Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano provided strong veteran production, while a collection of inexperienced arms, waiver claims, and trade acquisitions in Anthony Nunez, Cam Sanders, and Alex Hoppe, among others, provided plenty to be optimistic about going into 2027. 

Even though the bullpen performed well last season, Orioles President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias confirmed again at the GM meetings that Baltimore is looking to solidify the group for next year by bringing in at least one bullpen arm this winter, specifically a left-handed reliever. 

It’s hard to go into 2027 trusting Bautista or Helsley to return to form, and the only left-handed bullpen options currently on the 40-man roster are Josh Walker, Grant Wolfram, and Philip Abner, so a high-leverage lefty makes a ton of sense for the Orioles. 

The top option on the market is obviously Adrian Morejon, who recently expressed his interest in staying in the bullpen, despite reportedly drawing significant interest from teams looking to convert him to a starter. It would be a statement move by the Orioles, but also incredibly difficult to imagine coming to fruition given not only the price tag (MLB Trade Rumors projects a five-year, $80 million deal), but also the fact that Morejon was extended a qualifying offer by San Diego, so there’s also the cost of losing a draft pick for any team that signs him. 

However, there are still a handful of quality left-handed options available in free agency that the Orioles could target. These three arms should be at the top of the Orioles' list this winter. 

It's not a deep class of quality left-handed relievers, but the Baltimore Orioles should target one of these options

Alex Vesia

Vesia has made his living as a reliable setup man for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2021, putting up a 2.66 ERA across 328 innings, with 96 holds and a strikeout rate that dropped below 31% just once over the span (29.5% in 2023). 

He is coming off a 2026 season that saw his average fastball velocity drop to a career-low 92.1 mph and his walk rate spike to 13.5%, but Vesia’s extreme over-the-top delivery and elite 21-plus inches of induced vertical break allow the fastball to continue to play up and remain a real weapon, despite the velocity dip. There’s also reason to believe Vesia can get the walk rate back down. Looking at his Location+ numbers on FanGraphs, Vesia dropped to a 92 Location+ in 2026, when he’s typically around league-average (100). 

MLB Trade Rumors projects a two-year, $26 million deal for Vesia, which is a lot for an Orioles team that typically builds its bullpen with gems they find on the waiver wire and other low-cost options, but with real questions about what Bautista and Helsley may provide in 2027, a proven veteran with years of late-inning success in LA would be a perfectly justifiable investment.

Jose Alvarado

A more affordable option and higher-octane arm, Alvarado returned in 2026 from a PED suspension, and while he wasn’t as effective as before, the 31-year-old still averaged 97 mph with his fastball and provides a decade of big league experience out of the bullpen. 

His 25% strikeout rate was one of the lower marks of his career, but Alvarado allowed less contact on pitches in the strike zone than last season and was able to produce just a bit more swing-and-miss in the zone. However, one of the issues that haunted him last season was his ability to stay in the zone. There are signs that better command in 2027 could lead to more strikeouts moving forward. 

Alvarado also had a .377 batting average on balls in play this past season, an uncharacteristically high average that’s reflected in his 3.82 FIP, which was much better than his 5.86 ERA. You may not get the 2023 version of Jose Alvarado who sat 99 mph with a 37% strikeout rate and 1.74 ERA, but there are enough reasons to believe that whoever signs Alvarado this offseason gets an improved version in 2027. 

AJ Minter 

Minter just turned 33, has a notable injury history, and is coming off a season that saw his fastball velocity drop to a career-low 93.8 mph, but he found successful ways to work at a lower velocity band. In 45 innings with the Mets and Twins, Minter posted a 2.56 ERA with a 22% strikeout rate and a fantastic 4% walk rate. 

After using his four-seamer nearly 50% of the time over the last few seasons, Minter significantly reduced his four-seam usage while upping his cutter and changeup usage. Both pitches proved to be effective, as opponents hit just .208 against his cutter and .150 against his changeup. 

His 4.46 FIP is another potential cause for concern, but a combination of altering his pitch mix and showcasing some of the best command of his major league career showed that he can still be an effective bullpen option. 

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