Kyle Bradish's latest surgery should force Orioles to consider drastic offseason measure

The Baltimore Orioles put a lot of faith in starting pitcher Kyle Bradish when they gave him a five-year, $90 million contract in July. The 30-year-old righty has put together stretches of brilliance in his Orioles career, including a 2023 season that saw him have a 2.83 ERA in 30 starts. The biggest issue is that Bradish's career has been marred by injuries.

The Orioles announced on September, 28 that Bradish was going to have sports hernia surgery. The recovery from the surgery is generally a long one and will take up most of his offseason. Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story had that exact Surgery in late May this season, and didn't return to the majors until the very end of August (about three months including rehab games). It's another injury to add to the long list of injuries he has already dealt with.

In his time with Baltimore, this is the fifth different injury he's dealt with in five seasons. In 2022, Bradish hit the IL with right shoulder inflammation that kept him out for a month. In 2023, a right foot contusion landed him on the IL in April for 15 days. In 2024, he missed the first month of the season with a right UCL sprain, pitched for two weeks, and then underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. The sports hernia ended his 2026 campaign early in September.

Kyle Bradish's laundry list of injuries should have Orioles fans questioning whether they should keep him around

Questions need to start being asked about Bradish's long-term future with the club. While they obviously just paid him, the Orioles aren't in a spot to have a pitcher who has been so in and out of the rotation. Baltimore is in a crucial offseason for their timeline. Players are young enough at the moment to not be expensive, so they can spend money elsewhere.

The starting rotation is an area the O's could address, but they are going to want to commit to Bradish because they paid him. It's a very precarious spot. If the Orioles' rotation had enough depth that Bradish was the cherry on top, it would be great, but they rely on Bradish. When he's in the rotation, he is the No. 1 or No. 2 starter, but he continues to miss time due to injury.

Trading him away could be the best option. He is still an excellent pitcher, and many teams would value him very highly. While he is under a long-term contract, that contract by no means breaks the bank for even a smaller-market franchise. Baltimore could get a very solid return for him and set themselves up very nicely.

It's probably not the option most Orioles fans want to hear, but it's the one that makes a lot of sense because of his injury history. The O's need stability in the rotation if they want to make it back to the playoffs, and unfortunately, Bradish hasn't shown that he can provide it.

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