The Baltimore Orioles have historically opted not to break the bank in free agency. Instead, team execs have typically preferred to rely on striking gold in the draft. This has, as of late, worked out relatively well with core players such as Gunner Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, and Jackson Holliday all coming from the draft.
Despite these quality picks, the Orioles are likely going to have to make a major splash in free agency to truly compete in the American League. Although Baltimore has resisted spending big money in recent years, this could be set to change.
Media members directly asked team owner David Rubenstein on November 4 about how he would improve the team. Baltimore finished bottom of the American League East with a record of 75-87 in 2025. This came after the Orioles won the division in 2023 and made the playoffs via the wild card in 2024.
Rubenstein responded, as reported by Matt Weyrich, by proclaiming that the Orioles “don’t have particular restraints.” This seemingly means that the billionaire will be open to bringing in top free agents in the coming months. Rubenstein previously purchased the team from Peter Angelos in early 2024 for $1.725 billion.
Multiple MLB Execs Claim the Baltimore Orioles are in on Kyle Tucker Sweepstakes
GettyKyle Tucker is the undisputed top hitter in free agency.
One particularly surprising star that the Orioles could soon focus on is Kyle Tucker. The dynamic outfielder is the consensus top free agent of the offseason. Tucker, an All-Star in each of the last four seasons, recently hit .266 with 73 RBIs, 91 runs, and a 4.6WAR with the Chicago Cubs.
While Baltimore may be an outsider in the chase for Tucker, The Athletic is reporting that the buzz is getting louder linking the big bat with the Orioles. “When asked for an under-the-radar team that could end up engaging with Tucker, two executives from different organizations suggested the Orioles,” claimed the publication. “A separate league source said the Orioles are open to pursuing a premium bat, both in terms of price and production.”
Baltimore could definitely benefit from adding a top hitter to the team. The Orioles managed to score just 677 total runs on 1,273 hits in 2025. These figures ranked 24th and 25th, respectively, in all of baseball this past season. Baltimore was also one of only 10 teams in the league to record a collective OPS below .700.
Baltimore Also Desperately Needs to Address Pitching Problem
Along with needing a big bat, the Orioles also must add a starting pitcher or two during free agency. After all, the team finished 24th in the league with a combined starting pitcher ERA of 4.65. They also had seven starters to make at least 10 starts during the season. Outside of Trevor Rogers, only one other Baltimore pitcher, Tomoyuki Sugano, recorded at least 10 quality starts in the year.
Because of both of these needs, Rubenstein will likely have to be aggressive in the offseason if he wants his team to compete in 2026. Willing to spend big in free agency, however, does not necessarily guarantee signing players. Along with money, the top free agents need to be persuaded to join the team. Being a small market club, Baltimore may run into issues here.
One thing that could help the Orioles is a previous familiarity between Tucker and Mike Elias. Baltimore’s President of Baseball Operations was previously a scouting director for the Houston Astros. During his time with the Texas team, Elias drafted Tucker in the 2015 MLB Draft.
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