3 moves that could screw up Orioles' fantastic start to the offseason

The arrival of Pete Alonso has eased the pressure surrounding Mike Elias this offseason for the moment. Alonso was the Baltimore Orioles' big-ticket item at the Winter Meetings, and with Taylor Ward and Ryan Helsley having been added the month before, it's been a stellar start to the offseason.

While the moves afforded Elias the benefit of some doubt, there was still the concern of his not addressing the need in the starting rotation. The Orioles' president of baseball operations quickly put that fear to rest, trading for Tampa Bay Rays' starting pitcher Shane Baz and paying a handsome price at that.

3 moves that could screw up Orioles' fantastic start to the offseason

With Baz's arrival, it's hard to find a way to describe the offseason other than a success. They addressed all of their pressing needs, and it's very clear that the chips are pushed to the middle of the table for contention next season.

That said, there are certain scenarios that could change the impression of this offseason.

Shane Baz isn't the answer the Orioles hope he is

Shane Baz is certainly a pitcher who would entice a team to take a gamble on him. For his career, he has a strikeout rate of 24.5% and his fastball sits in the upper 90s. However, he's only pitched over 100 innings in a season once in his career. Above all else, injuries are what decimated the Orioles' rotation last season, and if Baz struggles with being available in 2026, that would be a major problem.

Avoiding using their young position players in the trade market

One of the problems that the Orioles have run into in recent years is that they have a plethora of young position players and not enough roster spots. It seems that they may be ready to repeat that mistake, with the front office not sounding motivated to trade Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo. In Mayo's case, it's not a trade for the mere purpose of making a deal. But for a player like Mountcastle, the Orioles should get something for him, rather than letting him waste away on the bench.

Giving up on Jackson Holliday too soon

There is some irony in that right after saying the Orioles shouldn't hoard their young position players, we say that they need ot give Jackson Holliday more time. It's been an up-and-down journey for Holliday at the major league level, but when he's been right, he's flashed All-Star potential. He still needs some seasoning before being entrenched on that level, but it would be a mistake for Baltimore to include him in a trade this offseason.