This Orioles rotation candidate may get pushed off roster after Chris Bassitt signing

The Baltimore Orioles made a move on Wednesday by signing starting pitcher Chris Bassitt. The move gives the starting rotation some added depth, but Baltimore is still missing that elite arm atop the rotation.

That may have to wait for a future offseason, but for now, a more interesting question is which pitcher might lose a roster spot after the Bassitt signing.

Latest Orioles move could cost Dean Kremer or Zach Eflin their roster spot

Still so many question marks remain in the rotation. Can Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers stay healthy and prove that their elite numbers in small sample sizes last season were not a fluke? Can Zach Eflin remain healthy?

Obviously these are unknowns, but the pitcher who may be in the most trouble after the Bassitt signing is Dean Kremer. The 30-year-old has been dependably average for Baltimore since 2022 and he would not be a bad option at all as the No. 5 starter. Last season he had a 4.19 ERA in 172 innings pitched. He struck out 142 and walked 45 in that span. Those are not bad numbers for a back of the rotation arm, but his biggest competition will be Eflin.

The 31-year-old Eflin is coming off a tough, injury-plagued 2025. He pitched to a 5.93 ERA in 71 innings. He is coming off back surgery but the expectation is that he will be healthy and ready to go in spring training. The Orioles will be hoping they get the version of him from 2024 after they acquired him from Tampa Bay. Eflin had a 2.60 ERA in nine starts for Baltimore after the trade.

The competition for that fifth spot in the rotation may very well come down to Kremer and Eflin now. If the competition is close, the nod would probably go to Eflin just because he is owed more money this season and he has shown that he has a higher ceiling than Kremer.

Still, with as shaky of a rotation as Baltimore currently has, even if Kremer does not make the rotation he and others will surely be called upon throughout the year as injuries pop up. The question for Baltimore may be whether they want to keep Kremer on the team as a long-relief option or if they would prefer to keep him stretched out down in the minors if an injury occurs.

It might be a slap in the face to Kremer to send him to the minors since he has been a consistent presence in the majors with Baltimore, but it may be the best decision for the team. The Bassitt signing improves the rotation but someone is going to lose a spot. Kremer seems like the likeliest candidate to be booted right now but he will surely contribute this season in one form or another.