The World Series is over, two small-market teams made proven baseball failure Mike Elias look exactly like the joke that he is in Baltimore, and the business of baseball is back.
At least until the inevitable lockout. And the Orioles hotstove better be cranking before then.
There is plenty for Elias and his new flunky - personal hype-man and pretend "GM" Jared Banner - to get done before everything shuts down. And as we told you when we laid out a reasonable payroll for these feckless private equity owners who pretend they want to win (and now they have Banner carrying their water, too ) don't believe the $160M current payroll figures floating around the internet because Elias got exposed as a fraud again with the Luis Robert acquisition and they were never picking up that option , and of course broken closer Ryan Helsley was going to opt back in for 2027 so Elias could pay him $14M to rehab repeatedly (it will be more than once, guaranteed).
And they'll walk from Ryan Mountcastle and others, and the guys who fired Mr. Splash and the Oriole Bird(s) will pretend they aren't just running this like a long-term investment ( while saying idiotic things in public ). But we can dream, damn it. And around here we know enough to dream responsibly and within the payroll confines of these mooks and within the very limited roster-building capacities of Elias and his ever-expanding coterie of minions and suck ups (like the new Matt Blood with the fancy title). Here's the plan to help save these losers from themselves:
Aug 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins pinch hitter Byron Buxton (25) celebrates his run against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Do it soon. Cut the cord.
Maximize return and plan the rest of the offseason around it based on the holes you fill from what you get in return. I'd trade him and more for Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton, but you have to convince the star to accept a trade to Baltimore. Regardless, getting real about this elephant in the room and not waiting until the trade deadline is the way to go. Getting your starting 2027 CF in this trade would be brilliant because that guy is not in this organization.
Once he's gone, then you go get a Joey Ortiz/Taylor Walls type to play short.
Aug 22, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Shane McClanahan of the Rays is our guy (but Eduardo Rodriguez would work, too). Local kid. Cy Young arm. One-year rental, which are the only kind of trades Elias will ever make for an arm. The Rays always urn replacement-level guys into quality starters and keeping McClanahan through his entire arbitration cycle to let him walk isn't their way. Which is the opposite of The Elias Way.
In addition, in a perfect world, signing Freddy Peralta would be great. After his epic postseason, that price will probably be too high. Michael King would be great. We told Elias to go get Brandon Woodroof when he got Corbin Burnes because Burnes wasn't enough. Taking a flier on Woodruff would make a lot of sense after he was able to come back and pitch in the World Series (albeit in a mop-up role).
You go get McClanahan and keep Trevor Rogers, great, two lefties would be ideal. But I want one who is way better and more consistent than Rogers.
Aug 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If you can get back an outfielder good for 600 plate appearances for Henderson that would be great. They need two everyday outfielders because their org is a mess and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is just another fourth OF and they need to ship Colton Cowser out of here and pretend that last year happened.
I could live with Daulton Varsho in center and Seiya Suzuki in right. Banner can't stop taking credit for Pete Crow-Armstrong from their time together with the Cubs, so let's see if he could help recruit this slugger - who also has an elite glove - to Baltimore. The outfield has been a disaster - consistently - under Elias, they can't teach anyone to catch and throw the ball in the minors and the travesty of Leody Taveras, Rece Hinds and Christian Franklin as a starting OF in late September with their Wild Card hopes on the line (they were never making the playoffs as we told you May 10 ) would be enough to get everyone fired if these owners gave half a damn.
Jun 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) broken bat after striking out in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Carlos Narvaez was a bit of a disaster here. I thought it would work. People who played the game at the highest level and watch this closely believe the framing and handling of pitchers needs work. This team needs someone who can catch 100 games, perhaps, depending on what the plan if for Samuel Basallo (and we, of course, have a comprehensive outline for what they should do here )
Sep 9, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday (7), outfielder Colton Cowser (17), designated hitter Coby Mayo (16) and outfielder Rece Hinds (62) celebrate after the Orioles beat the Cleveland Guardians at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Once these major boxes are checked, then it's time to send Cowser and Jackson Holliday packing (build the real OF first), and get back from interesting relief arms in return. Can Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Coby Mayo and Tyer O'Neill all exist on one roster? Of course not, so get CES or TON out of here.
Take that bag of balls for Kjerstad and call it a day (and pray he doesn't become a competent Andrew Vaughn/Jake Burger type in a real org with real coaches, just only from the left side). And try not to trade him to the Rays .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/orioles/onsi as Orioles Dream Offseason: 5 Moves That Would Change Everything .
