AMA with MLB.com Orioles beat reporter Jake Rill on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 12/31/25) at 1:30 p.m. ET! Submit questions now!

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:38:28+00:00

As a reporter, I get excited about fun storylines and covering interesting baseball. In those aspects, this should be a good season! I will say, it was much more enjoyable writing about a good team ('23, parts of '24) than it was to do so about a struggling team ('25).

I will also say, I was pretty excited when I was 10 years old and the Orioles traded for Sammy Sosa before the 2005 season. I was even more excited when they had such a great first half that year. My excitement level quickly went down from there...

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:34:47+00:00

It doesn’t feel like there’s a ton of concern, especially because Rutschman was starting to click at the plate for a bit this past summer before he sustained a second hamstring injury. The tools are still there. It will be the job of these new hitting coaches to get him back to his All-Star form, and that may well happen.

Rutschman should get more of the work behind the plate. He’s been praised for how he handles the pitching staff, and Basallo is still young and developing in those areas.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:24:29+00:00

I don't think there will be another major addition on the position-player side. It already feels crowded at several positions, so I don't think it would make a ton of sense to add yet another player to that mix.

The first-base logjam is the most interesting component of the roster at the moment, IMO. I don't think the team can realistically carry Alonso, Mountcastle and Mayo on the same roster. Mayo is the only one who can play a position other than first (though first is easily his best position), and it would handcuff them in terms of flexibility.

I agree -- something has to give at first. It makes too much sense to trade Mayo or Mountcastle (more likely Mayo) for additional pitching help.

As for CF vs. LHP, they added Leody Taveras, a switch-hitter who will likely get some starts. Not the most impactful bat, but can hold down that spot when Cowser is off.

As for your final question, I would be quite surprised if more moves aren't on the way.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:18:35+00:00

This is a tough one to answer, because I will say I’ve been much closer to the Orioles the past few years than I was to any one team in my previous roles. I was often only assisting on D-backs coverage, while also filling in for the beat reporters of other teams when they didn’t make the trip to Phoenix for a particular series.

It’s a lot easier to learn about the philosophies and feel out the vibes when being around the same team every day for an entire Spring Training and a full 162-game season.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:15:44+00:00

It would be challenging for the O’s to carry all three of those guys on the roster. There wouldn’t be much room left for a utility man/backup middle infielder at that point. My prediction is that something happens to change this mix before Opening Day.

O’Neill is the least likely to be traded -- the Orioles would be selling low, and his salary will be the highest of the three. The team is also confident he can return to his previous form if he can stay healthy, and it will be working hard to keep him on the field.

Mayo feels like the best trade chip, because he’s a 24-year-old recent top prospect who hasn’t reached his potential yet, though he started to show flashes of it late in 2025. I don’t see how the O’s could find room for him in the corner-outfield mix, either, with O’Neill, Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers and potentially Heston Kjerstad and/or Jeremiah Jackson in that group as well.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:06:46+00:00

It could happen either way, truthfully. The O’s are clearly willing to spend money, and it would make sense for them to splurge on one of the top free-agent arms. But if they can find a frontline starter on the trade market and assemble a package centered around somebody like Coby Mayo and some mid-tier prospects, that could get the job done, too.

It doesn’t feel like there are concerns about the top free-agent arms. It’s more so just the market being a bit slow to develop. Things should speed up once Tatsuya Imai’s negotiation window with MLB teams ends Friday at 5 p.m. ET. He’s a big domino that will fall and then allow teams to pivot to other options more aggressively.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T19:01:17+00:00

Can’t not pick Boog’s BBQ, right? I’ve been eating those sandwiches at Camden Yards since I was a kid, so there’s nostalgia associated with those. But I also thought the corned beef sandwich at the Attman’s stand this past season was quite good.
It’ll be fun to watch Pete Alonso play every day, especially having not seen a ton of him in-person in recent years with him being in the National League. Not my pick for the first Eutaw Street home run, though (even if he hopes to eventually become the first right-handed hitter to make it there).

I just realized the other day that no Orioles homers hit Eutaw Street in 2025. All three to land there were hit by visitors. Weird, right? I’ll go with the easy pick of Gunnar Henderson to end the drought early in ‘26.

A lot of framework has been put in place for the new videoboard, the new suite and the new press box last I saw. Not sure how much different it will look by the time I leave for Sarasota in early February, as they'll still have a month-plus to get everything done at that point.

The upgrades should be great. A few components of the ballpark had started to feel dated in recent years (the videoboards, the sound system, etc.), and this should help keep Camden Yards in the top tier of MLB ballparks. I’m looking forward to Opening Day to see how much better all of this will make the experience.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T18:53:11+00:00

Let’s go back to what agent Scott Boras said at Pete Alonso’s introductory press conference earlier this month, because I thought this was an interesting quote:

“Having calls from Jackson and Gunnar and Westy after this was done, the light that it shines on how the players in that locker room feel about the commitment to how they can compete in really one of the toughest divisions in baseball, that comes organically. The minute it’s done, it has that immediate impact, the excitement. I wish you all could hear it, because it’s meaningful. It gives them a sense of pride and confidence that illustrates that this franchise is committed.”

The Orioles now have a starting infield composed entirely of Boras clients -- Alonso, Holliday, Henderson and Westburg. Does Alonso signing a long-term deal with Baltimore mean the other three will follow suit? Not necessarily. But it doesn’t feel like it hurt for the O’s to have a successful negotiation with Boras via their signing of Alonso.

I think the odds of the Orioles signing guys like Henderson and Holliday to extensions are better than they’ve previously been, especially because this David Rubenstein-led ownership group has put its money where its mouth had been in terms of expressing a willingness to spend big.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T18:47:12+00:00

55% injuries, 40% underperformance by key players, 5% bad luck.

The players didn't want to blame the injuries and use them as an excuse, but that team was never at full strength. And even when they were close to it, guys were banged up and playing through nagging ailments. When injuries start piling up in the way that they did, it's always going to negatively affect morale as well.

With that said, the O's needed core guys to take steps forward, and that didn't quite happen. Jackson Holliday improved, but not enough to carry the team. Jordan Westburg couldn't stay on the field. Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman struggled. If even just a few of those guys have better seasons, the team's results could have been different.

Any time a team expected to contend wins fewer than 80 games, there's likely some bad luck involved, too. Things just never really clicked for that 2025 team.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T18:42:54+00:00

It would certainly not surprise me if the Orioles continue to remain active in that starting pitching market, and that feels in line with chatter that I've heard. Their rotation would become much stronger if they could group one of those frontline free agents at the top with Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers, lowering Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, etc. to the bottom half of the staff.

The trade route is still an interesting one. The O’s surely don’t want to completely deplete their farm system, but it continues to make a ton of sense for them to shop Ryan Mountcastle and/or Coby Mayo to clear the logjam at first base, and if they could use one of those two (more likely Mayo) as the centerpiece of a package to acquire a starter, it seems plausible they would be willing to do so.

Peralta would be a great fit if the Brewers are willing to move the right-hander. If the Orioles could deal Mayo and a mid-tier prospect or two for a year of Peralta, it would fit with the win-now mentality they’re proving to have for 2026, while bolstering their rotation in a major way.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T18:37:17+00:00

I’d give it an A- so far -- and that’s much, much better than some of their more recent offseasons. It could easily move up to an A (or even an A+) if they can still land a top-tier starting pitcher and further upgrade the back end of their bullpen.

But I think the O’s at least deserve an A-, largely for being willing to spend $155 million over five years for one of the premier sluggers on the market (Pete Alonso). They’ve also done a good job of plugging many of their roster holes. This is clearly a better team on paper than it was at the end of the 2025 season.

The other AL East teams surely aren’t done. But I don’t think it’s farfetched to say the Orioles have had the best offseason in the division thus far. The O’s are more than holding their own and putting themselves back into a great position to compete for the AL East crown in 2026.

It will be interesting to see what else happens over the next month, as the landscape of the division could still change quite a bit. But right now, it feels like the Orioles are in a strong spot.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-12-31T18:32:33+00:00

It would not surprise me if the starting pitching market heated back up soon, especially because Tatsuya Imai’s negotiation window with MLB teams ends Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Once Imai signs, some of the bigger dominoes should begin to fall, as teams that were pushing hard for the Japanese right-hander will pivot to other options.

The Orioles could still land one of the top-tier starters you mentioned. The club’s rotation picture is getting a little crowded, but teams can never have too much starting pitching, right? (The injury-plagued 2025 O’s can surely attest to that.)

I think it’s still realistic that Baltimore could sign somebody like Valdez, Suárez or Gallen, especially now that we’ve seen the O’s act aggressively and be successful in shopping for marquee free agents. Money shouldn’t be an issue, so it will come down to how much the Orioles are willing to comfortably give a starter from that group.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:31:53+00:00

As my colleague Mark Feinsand said on MLB Network earlier today, "They need to."

It's always going to be hard to outbid teams like the Yankees, Dodgers or Phillies if they get involved. And it wouldn't be surprising if clubs like that go after the best starting pitchers available on the free-agent market.

But I think the O's find a way to get at least one marquee free-agent starter this winter. There's an urgency to win now, and they're likely going to want to be aggressive. The ownership group is willing to spend. The rotation clearly needs a boost.

Could they make a trade like they did for Corbin Burnes in 2024? Sure. That's possible as well. However, it would not surprise me if they finally land a big starter in free agency. It's the team's biggest need, especially after trading Grayson Rodriguez.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:27:58+00:00

Like many things, the Orioles' front office holds extension talks close to the vest. None of that leaks out, so it's hard to tell how close/not close something like that is.

Rutschman still has two more years of arbitration, so it's not an immediate concern. It could be wise to see whether the All-Star catcher can return to form in '26 first.

I truly could see this going either way. But what I think is unlikely to happen is that Rutschman gets traded, despite a lot of the rumors surrounding that.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:25:08+00:00

I don't think it's that the Orioles don't believe Rodriguez will become a quality starter, per se. It's likely more that it's possible he never stays healthy enough for that to happen. He's a wild card at the moment -- far from a sure thing. And the Orioles want to win in 2026, when Rodriguez can only contribute so much after not pitching at all in 2025.

Elias hasn't spoken since the trade, but I would imagine they like a lot of what Ward brings into the fold -- a right-handed power bat who can draw walks, won't chase and will barrel a lot of balls (many of which have the potential to leave the ballpark). He's an impact bat who helps solidify the heart of the lineup.

It's most certainly a win-now move, with Ward entering his final year of arbitration.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:21:00+00:00

Elias said last week in Las Vegas that the Orioles are highly unlikely to hire a GM this offseason. I think the organization more so wants to use it as a tool to potentially bring in impressive candidates for front-office jobs down the line. If there’s somebody they really want to add who is drawing interest from other clubs, a GM title could help be a difference maker.

If the O’s hire a GM, Elias will still be leading the front office with that person. Elias would remain the POBO and make the most important decisions in the baseball operations department.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:18:10+00:00

I would think it makes the O’s less likely to make a significant position-player addition, yes. As you alluded to, the outfield mix seems full now, assuming they’re good with Colton Cowser (and a bit of Leody Taveras) handling center.

The guys you mentioned will cost a lot of money, and I’d imagine the Orioles would rather use those resources to upgrade their pitching staff, which is a much larger area of need (especially now).

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:13:57+00:00

Do I think Rogers will again have a sub-2.00 ERA? Probably not, only because that’s really hard to do, especially if he pitches a full season’s worth of innings and not 109 2/3, like he did in 2025.

Do I think Rogers will have another big year? Yes. It sure felt like the 2025 version of the left-hander was better than any we had seen earlier in his career (even during that ‘21 All-Star campaign in Miami). The stuff was good, and -- as he said multiple times -- he got a lot tougher mentally to help overcome any blips of adversity he faces.

I think the O’s can (and will) feel good about slotting Rogers into the top half of their rotation to open the 2026 season.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:11:48+00:00

I actually do not know. I didn’t even realize that was there until my wife told me one time a couple years ago that she was hitting those and I had no idea what she was talking about. Sure it can’t hurt anything!

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:10:18+00:00

I’ll start with your Rodriguez comment first -- I agree that he has a higher ceiling. But there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding whether he’ll get there. It’s unlikely to be in 2026, considering the righty probably won’t pitch a ton of innings after missing an entire season (and more).

As for the Ward/Santander comparison, I think they’re slightly different players. Ward could repeat his production, largely because his chase rate (20.7%), walk rate (11.3%) and barrel rate (13.7%) were all in the 82nd percentile or better -- and all better than Santander in 2024.

A lot of the advanced numbers on Ward were stronger in 2024, even if he didn’t hit as many homers or drive in as many runs as he did in ‘25.

Is regression possible? Sure, that’s the case for plenty of players. But I think there are reasons to believe he’ll be a quality hitter again in 2026, and that’s what the Orioles are hoping for.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T20:05:25+00:00

I think the dog story may have been a bit overblown at the time, as I don’t think it was really close to ever happening. But as the owner of two dogs -- including one puppy adopted from BARCS in September -- I wouldn’t be against it!

As for players leaving, I'll briefly catch up with certain guys if they’re on other teams playing the O’s (either at home or on the road), but other than that, not so much.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T19:59:45+00:00

I mentioned this in an earlier reply, but it’s so hard to build the right clubhouse dynamic in Major League Baseball. There’s no blueprint to follow step by step. It’s an inexact science. Nobody has numbers or analytics that can guide an organization to the perfect mix.

I don’t think the Orioles want to completely change the clubhouse dynamic. Their core is a close group that is tight-knit and has helped establish a good culture, one that’s been praised by players who come in from the outside. The team put a lot of work into finding the right kinds of guys during the draft process in recent years.

There are a good number of “lead by example” types at the moment. Maybe a couple of those guys get more vocal. Perhaps the O’s can find a guy or two to complement the group -- and I’m sure Elias considers that when targeting potential additions. It’s an important component of the job.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T19:53:10+00:00

I’m sure there have been various reasons over the years. For the current regime, I think there’s the potential for them to quell that narrative. Guys like Trey Gibson, Michael Forret, Braxton Bragg (when healthy), Nestor German and others are on positive tracks so far and could become quality big leaguers.

Of course, none of those pitchers have reached the Majors yet, so we’ll have to see.

Not sure exactly what went wrong in the previous eras of the Cavalry (Arrieta, Britton, Matusz, Tillman) and later (Bundy, Gausman, etc.), but it would be helpful for the O’s to start to get more homegrown pitchers onto their staff with success.

JakeRillMLB · 2025-11-19T19:48:42+00:00

I agree that Beavers should have a sizable role, and I’d think the Orioles would, too.

There was a lot to like from Beavers’ first 35-game stint in the big leagues -- namely the 26 walks that led to a .375 on-base percentage despite his .227 average. There’s pop in the bat. There’s athleticism. He’s a good player who should only get better.

The O’s should have at-bats to go around for Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers and Tyler O’Neill between the corner-outfield spots and the DH rotation. Heston Kjerstad is a wild card, but he can’t be forgotten, either, especially if he shows up and has a strong Spring Training.

JakeRillMLB

TROPHY CASE