What’s next for the Orioles after the Shane Baz trade

Even after trading a haul for Shane Baz, Orioles president Mike Elias says the team isn’t done searching for rotation help.

May 24, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (11) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles made another aggressive move Friday, sending four highly regarded prospects and a draft pick in the mid-30s to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Shane Baz.

While speaking to reporters on a Zoom call Saturday, Orioles president Mike Elias said he views Baz as a frontline starter with the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation arm. Even though they paid a steep price, he does not necessarily expect the right-hander to reach his ceiling right away, and they are by no means done looking for rotation upgrades.

"Our rotation's a lot better than it was before we made the trade, but I view it as a move in this offseason,” Elias said. “We've been looking for moves, and when we find one that we like, we've been doing it…We still have a month and a half to go, so we’re going to stay hard at work."

Mike Elias said he views Shane Baz as frontline starter with potential to be a top-of-the-rotation arm for Orioles.

However, asked if he views it as the big rotation move for the offseason, Elias said it's "a move" and that O's remain "hard at work" while trying to upgrade team.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) December 20, 2025

Baz, 26, struggled to stay healthy early in his professional career, making only 23 big-league starts for the Rays between 2021-24. The 2025 season marked his first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2022, and though he had a 4.87 ERA, he set career highs in starts (31), innings (166.1), and strikeouts (176).

In 16 starts at the hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field, Baz struggled to a 5.90 ERA while giving up 18 of his 26 home runs allowed on the season. The hard-throwing right-hander fared much better away from the Rays’ temporary home, posting a 3.86 ERA across 15 road outings.

Elias told reporters Saturday that the Orioles see a lot of underlying metrics suggesting Baz can outperform his 2025 numbers, believing his ERA was inflated by bad luck.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that Baz’s stuff+—a measure of the physical characteristics of his pitches—was roughly equivalent to that of Hunter Brown and National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes this past season. Baltimore believes he has five plus pitches, led by his high-90s fastball.

Shane Baz's 3Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/8KYiP94kY1

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 1, 2025

Baz arrives with three years of club control and joins an Orioles rotation that includes Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, and Tyler Wells. He currently appears to be the No. 3 starter in that group on paper but could be pushed back a spot if the club makes another significant addition this winter.

Baltimore missed out on right-hander Michael King, who was linked to the club before re-signing with the San Diego Padres on a three-year, $75 million deal earlier this week. Left-handed starters Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez remain available in free agency, and the Orioles have been connected to both since the offseason began.

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Valdez, 32, went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts in 31 starts with the Houston Astros in 2025. He has generated a groundball rate of 55% or higher in six straight seasons and ranks second among MLB starters in innings thrown (767.2) since 2022.

Suárez, 30, finished 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts in 157.1 innings with the Philadelphia Phillies this past season. Like Valdez, he would instantly upgrade an Orioles rotation that ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.65 combined ERA in 2025.

Since both Valdez and Suárez were extended qualifying offers, signing either would cost the Orioles their third-highest pick in next year’s draft. Before the Baz trade, that would have been the 46th overall selection. Now, after parting with their Competitive Balance Round A pick, it would be the 83rd overall pick instead.

Baltimore has been the busiest team in baseball this winter, adding Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, and now Baz. Their spending has been uncharacteristically high, but coming off a disappointing 75-87 finish in 2025, the O’s appear willing to do whatever it takes to return to contention next season.

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