Early GM meeting noise suggests Orioles learned lesson from painful mistake

The GM Meetings are often where the foundation is laid for the offseason, and after the Baltimore Orioles spent the last week saying that they are ready to spend this winter, the early noise from Las Vegas suggests there may be some truth to that.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand is among the reporters on hand for the meetings, and he seems to put stock in the idea that Baltimore is ready to be aggressive.

This hope from the Orioles doesn't match the actions they have had under Mike Elias. Tyler O'Neill was the only splurge Baltimore has made in free agency under Elias' watch. To his credit, Elias did trade for one season of Corbin Burnes, but once the Arizona Diamondbacks stepped in the way of a reunion last year, it seemed that the Orioles were comfortable standing pat.

Early buzz from GM Meetings suggests the Baltimore Orioles might just be taken seriously this offseason

Standing pat may not be something the Orioles can afford to do this offseason. At least, not Elias. The impression is that Elias may be out of a job if the Orioles don't make the playoffs in 2026, and as one source told Feinsand, the roster has the appearance of being ready to contend.

“They know they need to take advantage of this window,” one source said. “Gunnar [Henderson] is in his first year of arbitration and [Jackson] Holliday, [Colton] Cowser and [Jordan] Westburg aren’t even arb-eligible yet. At some point, all of these guys are going to get expensive.”

A test of the Orioles' urgency will be how they approach their need for pitching. Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers certainly are two key pieces for the Orioles' rotation, but the roster is begging for another ace to join the staff. There are options available this offseason with Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, and Michael King all being at the top of the market.

Internationally, the Orioles could also look at Tatsuya Imai, who may give them the most value on a long-term deal, considering he is only 27 years old.

There's not even taking into account the trade market, which could see big-ticket names move, such as MacKenzie Gore, Tarik Skubal, Hunter Greene, and Freddy Peralta. There are avenues available for the Orioles to prove that the actions they took last offseason were a mistake. If they avoid them, there is no one to blame but Elias for what will be this team's failures for another season.