This looming Orioles free agent already has his heart set on returning

Less than a week of games stand between the Baltimore Orioles and the offseason, and it's expected to be an active winter for Mike Elias and company. Elias, now serving as the Orioles' president of baseball operations, will be hiring a general manager to join the front office, and there is also a looming search for a new manager. In terms of the roster, the most glaring need the team has is in the starting rotation.

Ignoring the rotation last offseason certainly played a factor in the disappointment that was the Orioles' 2025 season, but if there is a takeaway, it's that Kyle Bradish is going to finish the year healthy, and Trevor Rogers is already being mentioned as a Cy Young candidate in 2026.

Orioles free agent already showing his hand about next year’s decision

Still, the Orioles will need to round out their rotation, and one impending free agent is hoping to be a part of the mix. After spending the first seven seasons of his professional career playing in Tokyo as part of the NPB, Tomoyuki Sugano inked a one-year deal with the Orioles last offseason, and nearing the completion of his first year, Sugano is hoping to be back with the Orioles next season.

What Sugano may not realize is that he is part of the reason why there is little faith in Elias to address the pitching staff this offseason. After losing Corbin Burnes to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it was clear that the Orioles had to add another top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Instead, the answer from Elias was signing Sugano and Charlie Morton to respective one-year deals. Morton has since been traded (and already cut loose) to the Detroit Tigers, and Sugano's first season has been a major disappointment.

Through 29 starts this season, Sugano has an ERA of 4.54, but carries a FIP of 5.22 and an xERA of 5.89. Striking out under 16% of the hitters he has faced this season, Sugano's peripherals suggest that the Orioles shouldn't place much of a priority on bringing him back this offseason.

Any move the Orioles make for their rotation this winter needs to be a definitive answer. In other words, aging veterans simply can't be the answer. If the Orioles are going to be taken seriously in 2026, they leave Sugano and players like him in 2025 and target additions that move the needle.

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