The Baltimore Orioles entered Thursday at 78–81 with three games left and a slim chance at the American League’s final Wild Card spot. That chance disappeared before they took the field again. The Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9–1 Thursday afternoon, clinching a playoff berth and eliminating Baltimore from postseason contention. The Orioles will finish their season at Yankee Stadium, but those games cannot change the verdict on a second straight disappointing year. This roster needs more than another hopeful spring.

Baltimore reached the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, yet its last postseason victory came in October 2014. The Orioles changed managers before 2026, signed Pete Alonso and traded for Shane Baz. They also traded Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox and Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners in August. The roster entering 2027 will look different. President of baseball operations Mike Elias must make it better.

Give a new general manager real authority

Elias said this month that he expects manager Craig Albernaz back in 2027. He also plans to seek outside executives and could hire a general manager beneath him. Owner David Rubenstein should make that hire more than a new name on an organizational chart.

An incoming GM needs authority to challenge how the Orioles develop hitters, evaluate injuries and assemble the roster. That includes reviewing why a club built around young position players has failed to turn two playoff appearances into sustained success. A fresh voice cannot help if every consequential decision follows the same playbook.

Trading Rutschman to a division rival marked a break from the original rebuild. It raised the stakes for what Baltimore does with the prospect return, including pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon. Elias can stay in charge, but ownership should demand that the revamped front office turn those assets into a competitive team, not merely a highly ranked farm system.

Pay to keep Trevor Rogers and protect the rotation

Letting Trevor Rogers walk would leave the Orioles with a larger problem than the one they faced at the trade deadline. They kept the left-hander when they could have moved him for prospects. Now they should make a multiyear offer before another club does.

Rogers gives Baltimore a left-handed presence alongside Baz and Kyle Bradish. Bradish finished his season on the injured list with a sports hernia, while Zach Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery in April. Chris Bassitt also reaches free agency after this season. Counting on every injured starter to return at full strength would invite a scramble by midsummer.

The Orioles should pursue another proven starter even if they retain Rogers. That would let Albernaz manage Bradish’s recovery without treating every young pitcher as an immediate solution. If Rogers signs elsewhere, Elias must replace him with comparable quality rather than turn his departure into a prospect haul. Baltimore invested heavily in Alonso to win soon. Its rotation spending should reflect the same goal.

Tear up the outfield plan

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Trading Ward in August removed a regular left fielder. Tyler O’Neill played only 85 games and finished the season on the injured list, while Luis Robert Jr. landed there shortly after the Orioles claimed him from the New York Mets. The Orioles cannot enter 2027 assuming those setbacks will resolve themselves.

Robert’s $20 million club option presents a test. Baltimore should decline it unless its medical and performance evaluations make a compelling case that he can stay healthy and produce. The savings should support an everyday outfielder who gets on base, handles his position and gives Alonso help in the lineup.

Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers deserve opportunities, but competition should determine their roles. The Orioles should stop treating O’Neill’s remaining contract as a reason to guarantee him a starting job. If necessary, absorb salary in a trade or use him as a reserve. A dependable outfielder would cost money. Keeping a fragile outfield together could cost another season.

Build a bullpen that does not depend on one comeback

Felix Bautista returned in September after shoulder surgery, a welcome development after a long absence. Ryan Helsley, signed to close while Bautista recovered, made only 17 appearances before elbow trouble ended his season. Keegan Akin underwent Tommy John surgery in July. The Orioles cannot pencil in a healthy late-inning group and call the job done.

Baltimore should acquire at least two established relievers, including someone comfortable with the ninth inning. That would give Albernaz options if Bautista needs a lighter workload or Helsley encounters another setback. It would also keep a tough April from turning into a season of improvised bullpen roles.

Relief pitchers carry risk, so Elias need not chase the most expensive closer. He does need enough arms to withstand an injury without turning every close lead into an emergency. The bullpen belongs in the offseason budget alongside the rotation and outfield.

The Orioles still have the talent to contend in 2027. Alonso’s power, a healthier young core and a rebuilt pitching staff could bring October back to Baltimore. But a club that has not won a playoff game since 2014 cannot keep calling potential a plan. This winter, its decisions must show what it learned from two seasons of falling short.