The Orioles made another big splash in the international signing pool by securing 22 agreements on the first day.

The class includes 11 players from the Dominican Republic, six from Venezuela, four from Cuba and one from St. Thomas. Eight are pitchers, five are infielders, five are catchers and four are outfielders.

Highlighting the class are shortstop José Luis Peña, outfielder Johanse Gómez, shortstop Meykel Baro, shortstop Ronald Terrero, catcher Yeison Acosta, outfielder Lisandro Sanchez, left-hander Kelvin Zapata and catcher Jose Flores.

"I am very ecstatic to welcome these remarkable individuals and their families to Birdland,” Koby Perez, Orioles vice president of international scouting and operations, said in a statement. “We believe that we were able to introduce a new wave of exciting, young players this signing period. These efforts continue to be made possible only through the hard work and commitment of our staff, as well as the continued support of our international operations from Mike Elias and the partnership group.”

The Orioles had $6,908,600 in international bonus money.

The important dates in the offseason are dwindling, a notable exception being the international signing period for amateur free agents that begins today. Arbitration hearings start on Jan. 27. Spring training is right around the corner, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 12 and the first full-squad workout held on the 18^th.

Wedged within these milestones is the three-day Birdland Caravan that replaced the annual FanFest event in 2020 and was canceled the next two winters by the pandemic and baseball’s lockout.

Ten players have committed to the tour: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Colton Cowser. Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Ryan O’Hearn, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde also will attend.

Elias, Hyde and Cowser have granted past media access this offseason, with the young outfielder holding a media scrum at the Winter Meetings after announcing the draft lottery results. He’s a confirmed participant with his nine teammates at the Jan. 31 Karaoke Happy Hour at PBR Baltimore in Power Plant Live!, and to appear at Bowlero Columbia, the Kids Rally in Severn and the PLAY Ball Rookie Clinic at Meadowbrook Athletic Complex on Feb. 1.

Cowser will have another chance to field questions about finishing as runner-up to Yankees pitcher Luis Gil for American League Rookie of the Year. Gil totaled 106 points and Cowser 101. He also can discuss the hand that was fractured in Game 2 of the Wild Card series and the exact nature of his surgery, his offseason workouts and attempts to become more consistent at the plate, playing left field with the wall moved in, and sharing an outfield with Tyler O’Neill.

Tyler O’Neill’s status as the first player signed to a multi-year contract since Mike Elias’ hiring as executive vice president/general manager in November 2018 comes with a caveat attached to it.

O’Neill can opt out of his three-year, $49.5 million deal after the 2025 season. He can dive back into free agency and search for a more lucrative offer or fulfill the entirety of his agreement.

The Orioles can get a year from O’Neill as the replacement for free agent Anthony Santander, with power, on-base ability and upgraded defensive at multiple outfield positions with his two Gold Gloves in St. Louis, and pivot again in the offseason – whether staying in-house or working the free agent and trade markets. They can plan on having him for three seasons to go with Colton Cowser and eventually 2023 first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr.

If O’Neill decides to opt out, the Orioles are allowed to make him a qualifying offer and, if declined, receive a compensatory draft pick. They could get something back beyond his production for one season.

Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander were among the dozen players to decline the $21.05 million. Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks for six years and $210 million, giving the Orioles the 30^th-overall selection in the draft. They already owned the 19^th and will net another if Santander signs for north of $50 million.

The Birdland Caravan returns for another three-day winter tour beginning on Jan. 30 at multiple locations throughout the region, and the list of Orioles participants includes high-profile players Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Colton Cowser. Jordan Westburg and former No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday also are scheduled to make appearances.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde will attend select events. Other players include Ryan O’Hearn, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and pitching prospect Chayce McDermott.

Caravan stops will be made throughout the state, including Baltimore, Bel Air, Columbia, Ellicott City, Halethorpe and Severn, plus “surprise locations” in Frederick, Harford and Montgomery counties. Fans in Pasadena and Westminster will get the chance to meet and take photos with the Oriole Bird, Mr. Splash and the Camden Franks.

A new feature is the requirement of tickets to attend several events, such as the Kids Rally in Severn, the bowling experience at Bowlero in Columbia, the Orioles PLAY BALL Rookie Clinic in Ellicott City, the Rip and Play event at Bel Air Sports Cards, and every Happy Hour.

Fans must purchase tickets in advance at Orioles.com/Caravan due to limited availability. Profits will benefit the Orioles Charitable Foundation supporting impactful community initiatives and programs.

The Orioles have decisions to make about their rotation beyond whether they try tapping into the trade market for an ace and the order of it.

A few reasons exist to consider a six-man setup. A few others make it unlikely as camp breaks.

Signing free agents Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to one-year deals broadened a crowd that already included returnees Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias won’t turn his back on an obtainable upgrade, but he’s also pleased with the current group and would be willing to ride into Opening Day with it.

Bringing in another starter without trading from his supply would leave Elias with even more of an abundance, and it already includes Albert Suárez and left-handers Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich. Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young also will be in camp with the intent of impressing manager Brandon Hyde and his coaches and putting themselves in consideration.

The extra starter would move Sugano closer to his routine in Japan with the additional rest. It could increase the chances of Rodriguez giving the Orioles a full season and freshen the others.

More mail got stuck in the bag.

Lucky for me. We’ve got more content this morning.

You asked and I eventually was able to answer. Enjoy your leftovers.

Is there any indication the Orioles are going to add to the bullpen? It's been completely silent on that front.
This is what happens when I wait to share the leftovers. I was gonna write that the Orioles will add at least one reliever to a major league deal, my bold prediction or hot take, but they already did by giving Andrew Kittredge a contract for 2025 that guarantees $10 million and includes a $9 million option. Fans want a reunion with Tanner Scott, but the club might not want to make that kind of commitment. Reports have him capable of securing a four-year deal for at least $15 million per year. Who saw that coming in 2021?

What's the latest on John Means? Are his days with the Orioles really over?
Means remains a free agent, as expected. A fast deal wasn't in the cards because he's recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. The Orioles haven't closed the door on him. There's a lot of positive history there. It would be a mistake to downplay their interest. Re-signing him is a possibility. The industry perception is that he probably won't sign until much later in the offseason.

Are the Orioles finished with their roster retooling? Is it safe to post a mock and avoid jumping back into it for revisions?

Camp doesn’t open for about five weeks. Stretch the hamstrings and be prepared to jump.

The Orioles aren’t guaranteeing another free agent signing or a trade before pitchers and catchers report. However, they aren’t shut down. Pitching is always desired, whether it’s starters or relievers. Business and minds are open.

“We like the strength of the team right now,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. “We think we’ve got a really great defense, an offense that has proven what it can do and I think still has a lot of ceiling to it as these young players continue to grow, hopefully, and a right-handed bat like Tyler O’Neill in the mix and Gary Sánchez in the backup catcher spot. We really like the look of the offense and defense, and the rotation has a lot of depth, a lot of options, a lot of experience. And then there’s also youth in the rotation options that we have. So we think it’s a very strong group that’s going to have us very competitive in the American League East.

“I think the bullpen is also going to be a big strength of this team with a lot of experience and also upside and just all-around talent there and a lot of hard throwers. So we feel the team is in a really good spot, but we’re very happy that we’ve got a ton offseason left, and we will be searching every day for deals and upgrades where we can find them, whether that’s the remaining free-agent market or trade possibilities. And we’ve seen that sometimes those things can happen late close to camp. We’re going to stay in the mode of looking for ways to upgrade the team.”

Right-hander Roansy Contreras is on the move again this offseason, with the Orioles being his fifth organization since 2024.

The Orioles claimed Contreras on waivers from the Reds this afternoon. He’s out of minor league options and could report to spring training trying to compete for a bullpen spot.

Contreras, 25, split the past season between the Pirates and Angels and posted a 4.33 ERA and 1.288 WHIP in 37 games, including three starts. He debuted for the Pirates in 2021, his lone appearance producing three scoreless innings in a start, and he’s registered a 4.72 ERA in 90 outings.

The Yankees signed Contreras as a free agent in 2016 and traded him to the Pirates five years later in the Jameson Taillon deal. The Angels selected his contract in May 2024, the Rangers claimed him on waivers Oct. 31 and he landed with the Reds on Dec. 19.

Contreras was designated for assignment this week after the Reds acquired infielder Gavin Lux from the Dodgers. He has a 5.47 ERA since the beginning of 2023, a 18.5 percent strikeout percentage and 10.5 percent walk rate.

The passing days bring us closer to spring training and the resolution to some burning issues, but other answers aren’t forthcoming until much later. Until games are played and the summer months lead us to fall.

Here are a few more.

How will Tomoyuki Sugano adjust to the majors?

Sugano also must adjust to life in the U.S. This isn’t only about baseball.

Speaking of baseball, it’s going to be different from the one used in Japan. It won’t be tacky, it’s slightly smaller and the seams are smaller.  

The Orioles must reach agreements with their unsigned arbitration-eligible players later today or exchange salary figures. Hearings will be held between Jan. 27 and Feb. 14.

A panel will choose one of the two figures. There are no compromises.

We’ve learned that there are exceptions to the club’s file-and-go philosophy.

Corner infielder Emmanuel Rivera settled at $1 million to leave the Orioles with 11 unsigned players. Here’s a reminder:

Dean Kremer

Even after making 30 or more starts the last six full seasons and even after having thrown over 2,100 big league innings, before the Orioles could sign him to a one-year contract, right-handed starting pitcher Charlie Morton had to decide if he wanted to sign with any team.

In his first interview with O’s reporters today, via a team Zoom call, he said this was not the first time he had pondered retirement. But he also explained that as last season ended, he seemed to want to keep going.

Morton, 41, went 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA for the Braves and now has signed a one-year deal for $15 million with the Orioles. Over the past two years, he’s thrown 328 2/3 innings to an ERA of 3.92 and a .248 batting average against with 24 quality starts.

“I think I’ve been debating that decision every offseason for the past four or five years frankly,” Morton told the media today. “It was definitely toward the end of last year. We were in a tight race for the Wild Card spot and I felt my year hadn’t gone as I hoped.

“I really wasn’t thinking about it a whole lot. I was thinking more about trying to take it all in because I thought that might be my last year.

The Orioles announced earlier today that the splash zone is expanding as part of the left field renovations. Construction already has started.

More home runs could lead to more saturated fans.

The Bird Bath will extend past section 86 and into section 84 and again will feature guest splashers. Past participants include owner David Rubenstein, Gov. Wes Moore, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett, and former Orioles Adam Jones and Ben McDonald.

The club already had revealed that a platform would be built for Mr. Splash.

The Bird Bath debuted on May 12, 2023 after players invented a water theme to celebrate, including human “sprinklers,” homer hoses and hydration stations, and spitting water onto the field from the dugout railing.

Zach Eflin picked up a baseball earlier than usual this offseason, an impressive feat for a man with his hands full.

Eflin is having a mostly typical winter professionally back at home in Orlando, even in temperatures that dipped into the 30s. The rest of it is more of an adventure, controlled chaos that amuses and fulfills him.

“Everything else life-related, there is no normalcy or anything, just from having three (children) under 3 ½ at this point and an eight-month pregnant wife,” Eflin said yesterday in a phone conversation. “Things are very reactionary nowadays.”

The Orioles will get a full season from Eflin after he made nine starts in 2024 following a deadline trade that sent minor leaguers Jackson Baumeister, Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel to the Rays. He posted a 2.60 ERA and 1.120 WHIP and allowed one run in four innings in Game 2 of the Wild Card round against the Royals before receiving a quick hook.

The rotation currently is aligned to make Eflin, 30, the favorite to start on Opening Day in Toronto, with Grayson Rodriguez providing the main competition. Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton signed one-year deals, and Dean Kremer returns after registering a 3.82 ERA in 12 second-half starts.

The Orioles entered a new week with a deeper rotation and the motivation to keep searching for pitching.

Camp doesn’t open for another six weeks.

The mailbag opened again over the weekend. You asked and I answered, leaving us with the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I don’t do much editing, but I provide reminders that my mailbag owns a snow blower and your mailbag shovels the driveway with a spatula.

Even if another starting pitcher and reliever are added to this roster, the current 2025 team seems like we're starting with less than we did in 2024. The Yankees and Red Sox both improved dramatically on paper, and the Blue Jays are still frantically searching for free agents who'll accept Canadian money. The Rays always restock from within, so they can never be counted out. What must Mike Elias do to make this year's Orioles a viable contender, or is this destined to be a "regrouping" year?
There is no prize money for longest question. Just so you know. This question was submitted before the Charlie Morton signing, but I’m sure it holds up. The Orioles already consider themselves contenders based on their returning players and additions. They expect better production from hitters who slumped and they’re counting on better health. Also, the offseason isn’t over. I’m sure you’ve been reminded that they traded for Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1. I think this is a playoff team. That’s as far as I’ll go right now.

As the offseason rolls merrily along, except of course for the segment of the fan base that feels flattened by it, win projections and championship odds already have surfaced on the internet.

They seemed premature in December and remain so in the first week of January, but they always can be adjusted later.

The Orioles could or could not be done with their search for starting pitching and they must address the bullpen, but they’re graded now based on losing their ace starter and 44-homer bat. The dip is minimized by the additions of outfielder Tyler O’Neill and Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, along with backup catcher Gary Sánchez, at a combined $71 million.

Expectations could change again after the Orioles announced Friday evening that they signed veteran starter Charlie Morton to a $15 million deal.

The consensus seems to be that the Orioles remain a playoff team, which back in the day would have been celebrated with tremendous enthusiasm. They haven’t qualified for the postseason in three consecutive years since 1969-71, reaching the World Series each time. Perceptions of a dynasty are ruined by losses in ’69 and ’71. Perceptions of the current club are marred by back-to-back sweeps.

I’m dumping more mailbag questions into your laps. I'll handle the next batch.

We’ve pondered whether Zach Eflin or Grayson Rodriguez would be the No. 1 starter as the roster’s currently set, who’s the No. 5 starter, the chances that Jackson Holliday platoons, how much Heston Kjerstad plays, whether the Orioles trade for Luis Castillo, and if the Orioles are done making moves for position players.

Here are a few more. Share your answers with the class.

Does Nick Gordon have any shot at making the team in spring training?

On paper, it seems highly unlikely.

If veteran leadership was a priority for the Orioles in their hunt for starting pitching, they couldn’t do much better than 41-year-old Charlie Morton.

Morton was the fourth-oldest pitcher in the majors last season, and he’s the oldest for the Orioles since reliever Jesse Orosco called Baltimore his baseball home from 1995-99.

The Orioles aren’t putting age before duty. They need Morton to be productive, which they anticipate with a $15 million contract. This isn't Corbin Burnes money, but it's another example of the increased spending under new ownership.

The club had the rare honor of breaking its own news. The agreement wasn’t leaked to national or local media.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told reporters at the Winter Meetings that he could acquire two starters, though he didn’t make any guarantees. Morton brings the offseason total to two.

The Orioles’ rotation is deeper tonight, though also more likely to remain in-house for an Opening Day starter.

Charlie Morton has signed a one-year contract, with an industry source confirming the guaranteed value at $15 million.

Morton is a 17-year veteran who turned 41 in November, making him the logical choice to serve as leader of the rotation. He’s been durable, making 33, 31, 30 and 30 starts over the past four seasons.

The right-hander is one of four pitchers with at least 30 starts in each full season since 2018 – not including the shortened 2020 - along with José Berríos, Patrick Corbin, and Aaron Nola.

Where Morton slots will be determined later, but he could settle behind Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez. Dean Kremer and Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano should round out the unit.

January has the potential to be a busy month for the Orioles based on some important dates and roster business that needs completion.

The general managers and Winter Meetings are over. Players eligible for qualifying offers already decided whether to accept or decline, with Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander choosing the latter and setting up the Orioles to receive compensatory draft picks.

The non-tender deadline also passed, with the Orioles sending reliever Jacob Webb into free agency. He signed with the Rangers.

Corner infielder Emmanuel Rivera is the only arbitration-eligible player who signed a 2025 contract, agreeing to $1 million to avoid a hearing. Eleven Orioles remain unsigned – pitchers Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Trevor Rogers, Keegan Akin and Gregory Soto, catcher Adley Rutschman, infielders Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías, and outfielder Cedric Mullins - and salary figures will be exchanged Thursday night unless deals are struck.

These players remain with the Orioles, so it’s only about setting salaries. Hearings will be held between Jan. 27-Feb. 14.

The Orioles closed out the year 2024 by signing super-utility player and former first-round draft pick Nick Gordon to a minor league contract on Tuesday. The month featured three major league deals, bringing a right fielder (Tyler O’Neill), backup catcher (Gary Sánchez) and starting pitcher (Tomoyuki Sugano).

Another starter could arrive in January, though it wasn’t until Feb. 1, 2024 that the Corbin Burnes trade became official. The Orioles could arrange a reunion with right-hander Jack Flaherty, with reported interest on both sides. But it might take a five-year commitment. The Orioles could arrange a reunion with reliever Tanner Scott, since they want to strengthen the bullpen. But it might take a four-year commitment.

I could finally get around to sharing more questions from my mailbag. It dropped like the Times Square ball and the contents spilled out.

You ask, I answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. Also, my mailbag rings in the new year and your mailbag rings doorbells selling magazine subscriptions.

Who is Nick Gordon?
Gordon is a left-handed hitter who plays everywhere except first base and catcher. He was the fifth-overall pick by the Twins in 2014. The Marlins outrighted him in August. Gordon will come to camp competing for a bench role but likely would need a trade or injury to clear room. Having him in Triple-A would come in handy.