Bleacher Report’s brutal grade for the 2025 Orioles actually feels generous

Here's the good news: The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the league's most active teams this winter. However, like a toddler on a sugar rush, activity doesn't always equate productivity. Signing Pete Alonso was monumental for Baltimore, but trading all those assets for Shane Baz was head-scratching, especially considering they gave up a similar talent with similar concerns in Grayson Rodriguez for just one year of Taylor Ward.

Truth be told, Baltimore has been all over the map, and it has some folks starting to question whether or not there's a coherent plan. If there was one true non-negotiable that Mike Elias needed to accomplish this winter, it was adding a true ace to the rotation. Instead, he brought back Zach Eflin. That seems to signal that the Orioles are done adding to the rotation and will instead bet that someone, most likely Baz, will ascend and fill that void.

It all smacks of an executive who believes he's the smartest guy in the room, and that typically doesn't end well.

At this point, we're seeing offseason grades starting to come out, and Bleacher Report's evaluation of the Orioles' showing has the club receiving a "D," which somehow still feels overly positive.

Bleacher Report gives the Orioles' offseason a D, but that still feels a bit too high

We knew Baltimore would cut corners somewhere. It seemed like the back-end of the bullpen was the most likely spot to see a lesser target acquired in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. The Orioles did just that, betting on a Ryan Helsley bounce-back, but seeing how much money they gave him to attempt a comeback, the move looks really questionable. Kenley Jansen would have been cheaper while providing a higher floor. Robert Suarez would have given them an elite option and cost only slightly more. There doesn't seem to be much logic to rolling the dice on Helsley at this price.

Next, there's the trade for Taylor Ward. Ward is a fine player, but is he going to stick around in Baltimore beyond 2026? Even if he does, was the outfield really that big of a need? Factor in the Alonso signing, and the power Ward provides seems to be redundant now, given the cost of acquisition.

Most importantly, this all goes back to the rotation. The Orioles' starters combined for a 4.65 ERA in 2025, ranking 24th in the league. The "solution" to this problem is adding a guy in Baz who pitched to a 4.87 ERA last year in his first full season starting in the majors, and then retaining a guy in Eflin who was abysmal, posting a 5.93 ERA before getting injured last season. Both pitchers are prone to giving up the long ball, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards is one of the more homer-friendly parks in the league, with a Statcast HR factor of 105.

This could all change if Baltimore has a surprise up its sleeve, but right now, the Orioles seem like a club that has been distracted by all of the shiny toys around them and forgotten about what the most critical need was. If that's left unaddressed, the offseason will be an abject failure, and their prospects in the hyper-competitive AL East will still be bleak.