3 Orioles signings that should be made in spite of Mike Elias’s preferences

Less than a month remains until MLB likely has another lockout. The exclusive negotiating window officially ended on November 3, and a week later, not much has happened yet, but a tsunami of moves is likely coming before the league shuts down. That means Mike Elias and new GM Jared Banner need to get the Baltimore Orioles in gear before they miss out.

Historically, Elias has not been an overly active participant in the upper echelons of the free agent market. Last offseason's signing of Pete Alonso was his first real foray into the top tier of free agents, and fans are now hoping that he'll do so again in one particular area.

The Orioles need to lock down a top-tier arm for their starting rotation, something Elias has chosen not to do in the past. Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, and Brandon Young are a great two-three-four in the opening-day rotation; Baltimore can't go into next season with them as the top three.

The best thing for Elias to do would be to make two additions, one via trade and one via free agency, with both being top-tier arms. Signing an ace would go against everything Elias has done in his eight-year tenure as the top baseball official in Baltimore. Here are a few options he'll hopefully pursue, though.

Three signings the Orioles must make while bucking Mike Elias's tendencies

LHP Trevor Rogers

Baltimore made the extremely smart decision to give Rogers the qualifying offer. That will hold off some competitors from signing him on the open market this offseason, but what they need to do now is sign him long-term.

Rogers showed in 2025 and the second half of 2026 that he is capable of being their ace. Keeping him around on a multi-year deal, even if it is reaching nine figures, is the smart move this offseason. Even though Elias hasn't spent money on pitchers historically, getting him back for the prime years of his career should be one way to entice Elias to do so.

Sonny Gray

If Elias is going to be hesitant to hand out a long-term deal, Gray could be a little more his style. Coming off a career season in Boston, which should see him receive some Cy Young votes, the 37-year-old likely fetches a two-year deal at best.

Gray is still going to get a large sum of money this offseason. He had a 2.72 ERA in 29 starts, had a 1.15 WHIP, and allowed fewer than a home run per nine innings. He became a pitch-to-contact hitter with the Sox this season, but had back-to-back seasons of over 200 strikeouts in 2024 and 2025. A short-term high AAV is still something Elias hasn't done, but it may make him more comfortable than a long-term deal.

Michael King

Signing Michael King would be as big a splash and surprise as Pete Alonso was last offseason, but if Elias wants to make a statement, King would be the way to do it. The righty has flourished since becoming a full-time starting pitcher three seasons ago. A shaky 2025 that saw him get bitten by the injury bug, plus getting the qualifying offer last offseason, meant his market was small, and he got a three-year deal with an opt-out for this offseason.

King exercised his opt-out after a great season and an even better postseason, and is now one of the most highly sought-after free agents this offseason. His contract projections range from three years, $79.5 million (ESPN), to four years, $92 million (MLB Trade Rumors), to four years, $118 million (Jim Bowden, The Athletic). Any of those would be much higher than Elias has done before, but he would be a true ace for the Orioles.

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