3 under-the-radar trade targets who could solve Orioles’ quiet need in the bullpen

Spring training has arrived for the Baltimore Orioles, but there remains a sense that the major league roster is incomplete. Sure, the Orioles still need to find a frontline starting pitcher, but they also have a liability in their bullpen. While Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittredge have solidified the backend of the bullpen, the Orioles lack a dependable left-handed relief pitcher.

Based on the Orioles approach to the draft and free agency, it is clear they have a unique vision when it comes to putting together a pitching staff, but opting to go into the season without a real lefty specialist would be incredibly bold.

Orioles might finally fix bullpen weakness with one of these three trade targets

The free-agent market for left-handed relief pitchers is rather thin. If the Orioles are going to check this item off their shopping list, it almost certainly would need to be accomplished through the trade market.

JoJo Romero

The Cardinals are almost done with their offseason teardown. They've jettisoned Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and, most recently, Brendan Donovan. Looking at their roster now, there is only one player who will be a free agent after the 2026 season, JoJo Romero.

Ever since Romero landed in St. Louis, he's been one of the most consistent lefty relievers in baseball. Since 2023, he's had an ERA of 2.93 and a FIP of 3.40 in 157 appearances. In his career, lefties have a slash line of 185/.274/.255.

Romero is the exact kind of pitcher the Orioles need, and because he only has one year of control left on his contract and he plays for a team that is actively trying to get worse, the price should not be exorbitant.

Aaron Ashby

The Brewers have the opposite problem of the Orioles, where, if anything, their bullpen may be too left-handed. Teams can never have too much pitching, and the Brewers are very well run, so it's not impossible that Milwaukee could find a good use for all these arms, but Ashby stands out as someone the Brewers could be interested in moving.

Ashby has dealt with injuries over the last few years, and because of the extension he signed back in 2022, he is much more expensive than their other left-handed options. Jared Koenig, DL Hall, Angel Zerpa, and Rob Zastryzny are all left-handed relievers currently on the roster, and in 2026, they'll make less than 3.5 million dollars combined. Ashby is set to make 5.7 million. The Brewers' MO for years has been, "if we can get similar production for a fraction of the cost, that's what we're going to do", which is why they've moved off of Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams, and Corbin Burnes in recent years.

The Orioles would be happy to pay $5.7 million this year and $7.7 million next year for Ashby's services. Ashby had a 2.16 ERA with a 2.70 FIP. He was in the 99th percentile for ground ball rate and opponents' barrel rate. Left-handed batters slashed a mere .193/.299/.241.

Tanner Scott

The Dodgers signed Tanner Scott to a massive contract after he had back-to-back career seasons in 2023 and 2024. Scott's first year in Los Angeles was a disaster, and he reached the point where he wasn't available for the team during the World Series.

The Dodgers' pockets are deep enough that the Scott signing being a bust is not a major setback. However, even teams as wealthy as the Dodgers don't love paying double-digit millions of dollars for players that are inconsequential to their World Series prospects.

The Orioles have talked a lot about having "no financial restriction" this offseason, and yet their projected 2026 payroll as it stands is lower than it was entering the 2025 season. If they are interested in spending some money, they could volunteer to take the Scott contract that the Dodgers likely regret off their hands and bet on him bouncing back to his 2024 form when he put up a 1.23 FIP against left-handed batters.