Orioles quietly land veteran from AL West contender in surprise move

MLB Free Agency opens on Thursday night, but it has already been a busy week for the Baltimore Orioles. Beyond introducing Craig Albernaz as their next manager, the Orioles made a U-turn on their trade with the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, getting Andrew Kittredge back for their bullpen. Continuing to add to their bullpen depth, the Orioles claimed right-hander George Soriano off waivers from the Miami Marlins. The moves didn't stop on Wednesday night, when the Orioles brought in a bench piece from the Miami Marlins.

Over the last couple of days, Mike Rodriguez has been teasing the Orioles' signing of veteran outfielder Leody Taveras, and the deal was confirmed by Jon Heyman. It is a one-year deal for $2MM for Taveras to join the Orioles.

Since making his Major League debut in 2020, Taveras has spent the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers before joining the Seattle Mariners to close out the 2025 season. Taveras' offensive production, which was never strong to begin with, stalled upon his arrival at the Mariners this season, slashing .174/.198/.272 in 98 plate appearances.

Throughout his career, Taveras' defense has trended toward being above average, and the threat of him stealing should be a welcome addition to the Orioles' bench next season.

Leody Taveras isn't a terrible signing for the Baltimore Orioles, but the threat of Mike Elias always exists.

In finishing the season with the Mariners' triple-A affiliate, Taveras was granted free agency in October, making him eligible to sign with a new team before the start of MLB free agency this week.

Assuming Taveras is with the Orioles to serve as a piece on the bench, there isn't much to get upset about with this deal. No, it doesn't seem like the Orioles had to make this deal right now, but $2MM is pennies from an owner who just touted his thick-pocketed investors.

The threat of Mike Elias is still prevalent, however. In theory, Taveras shouldn't be the Orioles' answer to their primary need in the outfield, but this is Elias we are talking about. The man thought Charlie Morton was a suitable replacement for Corbin Burnes, so you can never put logic-defying moves past him.