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Which Player in the World Series Fits With the Baltimore Orioles?
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- Which Player in the World Series Fits With the Baltimore Orioles?
(Michael McLoone-Imagn Images)
All eyes in the baseball world are currently watching this year's Fall Classic between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. That includes the Baltimore Orioles and their front office.
Baltimore finished 79-82 in 2026, missed the postseason and spent the fall watching two teams they could not catch take the stage. The question is which players on those rosters could help close that gap. Two names stand out, and the cases for each are very different.
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Freddy Peralta is the obvious one. The 30-year-old right-hander won ALCS MVP after throwing 12 innings against Cleveland with a 0.75 ERA across three appearances.
Tampa Bay acquired him from the New York Mets on Aug. 2 for three minor-leaguers after he posted a 4.99 ERA in 22 New York starts.
He posted a 3.25 ERA over his final 10 regular season outings with the Rays and then caught fire in October. He is a free agent when this series ends.
Baltimore needs a starter. Kyle Bradish and Shane Baz are the top two in the rotation, Trevor Rogers is heading toward free agency and there is a chance he signs elsewhere. Peralta on a two or three-year deal could give the Orioles a proven ace. It is risky though given how Peralta pitched in the first half. But it could be a risk worth taking.
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Brewers reliever Abner Uribe is the more complicated conversation, and the more interesting one for what the Orioles could actually build. Uribe posted a 1.97 ERA and roughly 62 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings across 61 appearances in 2026. He misses bats at an elite rate and could become Baltimore's closer if they added him.
The problem is that Uribe is not a free agent. Milwaukee controls him through 2030. The Brewers just went to the World Series with him. They have no obvious reason to trade him.
However, Milwaukee is a small-market club that has consistently moved controllable pieces when the prospect return makes sense. They are not holding Uribe out of loyalty. If Baltimore puts together a package centered on a high-ceiling arm or bat from their system, the Brewers will listen.
Peralta fills an immediate need. Uribe is the move that changes the bullpen for the next three years. The Orioles have not won a World Series since 1983. They need to be looking for ways to improve the roster to at least give themselves a chance to play on MLB's biggest stage.
