Orioles add lefty reliever on minor league deal

The Baltimore Orioles’ busy offseason continued on Tuesday as the team announced that they have signed lefty reliever Eric Torres to a minor league deal.

Torres, 26, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He spent four years in the Angels’ system, reaching as high as Triple-A Salt Lake City in 2024.

The Orioles announce they agreed to a minor league deal with 26 y/o lefty reliever Eric Torres. Torres reached Triple-A in the Angels’ org in 2024, then played independent ball in 2025 (with a 1.59 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. He’s pitching well in the Puerto Rican winter league rn
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) January 6, 2026

Last season, Torres played Independent Ball for the Double-A Lake Country DockHounds in Wisconsin. He posted a 2-1 record in 39 appearances with a 1.59 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 39.2 innings of work.

Torres is currently playing for Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he has turned heads with his play. Through 20 appearances with the team, Torres has yet to allow a run and has yielded just six hits through 23.1 innings. He has also recorded 39 strikeouts while walking only seven batters.

In Torres, the Orioles are getting a left-handed arm with plenty of strikeout potential. In 149.1 career minor league innings, Torres has notched 224 strikeouts, good for a 13.5 K/9 rate. He has had some issues with allowing hits and issuing walks, although he has relatively good control over home runs; his 1.50 WHIP from his four minor league seasons was elevated by rates of 6.6 H/9 and 6.9 BB/9.

The Orioles have been busy reconstructing their bullpen this offseason. Long-time closer Felix Bautista will likely miss most of, if not the entire 2026 season, after undergoing surgery on a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff. In his place, the O’s signed Ryan Helsley from the New York Mets and re-acquired Andrew Kittredge from the Chicago Cubs.

Orioles announce they’ve signed LHP Eric Torres to ‘26 Minor League deal.

Torres, 26, was Angels’ 14th-round pick in ‘21. He has 9.44 ERA in 32 career Triple-A relief outings.

Spent ‘25 season in independent ball, recording 1.59 ERA in 39 relief outings in American Association.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) January 6, 2026

Torres will need to impress at Spring Training if he hopes to crack Baltimore’s bullpen. The O’s have no shortage of southpaws available, with Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns, and Grant Wolfram likely locked into spots. If Baltimore lands another frontline starting pitcher, Cade Povich is a nominee to get bumped out of the rotation and into a bulk relief role.

At the end of the day, pitching is something that Baltimore had to address this offseason if they have any hope of competing in the AL East next year. The O’s paid up to land starting pitcher Shane Baz, and bolstered the back-end of their bullpen with the Helsley signing. While Orioles fans await news on another splash signing, depth deals like Torres will solidify a much-improved pitching group from 2025.

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