Former Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis is among the 12 new candidates for baseball’s Hall of Fame.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot also includes 15 holdovers. Results will be announced live on Jan. 20 on MLB Network.

Players must receive 75 percent of the votes for induction in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Markakis was a first-round pick in the 2003 draft who played nine seasons with the Orioles and won two Gold Gloves in right field. His last six seasons were spent with the Braves, where he won another Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger in 2018 and made his only All-Star team.

The Georgia native finished his career with a .288/.357/.423 slash line and 514 doubles, 22 triples, 189 home runs and 1,046 RBIs in 2,154 games. He registered a 33.7 bWAR.

If the Orioles hold onto their offseason plan as if it’s covered in stickum, they’re going to emphasis starting pitching, late-inning relief and an impact bat while constructing their roster for Opening Day.

I don’t believe there’s an actual order to it. The calls and meetings are taking place and any deal that can be completed, whether in free agency or a trade, will rank ahead of the others. Mike Elias isn’t putting any of these needs on a back burner.

The hiring of a general manager sits there.

I’ve got more questions swirling in my brain, and among them is which of these additions is most important to the club’s future success? That’s different than which comes first.

I’m not too chicken to egg you on.

A new week brings the next set of meetings in baseball, with owners gathering in New York on Tuesday.

Don’t expect David Rubenstein to swing any deals.

The Orioles’ last trade brought them reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs on Nov. 4 for cash considerations. What’s next?

I’ve already published a batch of questions, including how the Orioles are going to jam five starters in the rotation, who bats first, who’s in center field, whether Tyler O’Neill can extend his Opening Day home run streak, whether there are innings limits for some starters, what’s next for Albert Suárez, which starters could move to the bullpen, whether Trevor Rogers can maintain his level of excellence, which starter will lead the club in innings, and what’s next for Heston Kjerstad.

Here are two more.

Two more coaches are confirmed for manager Craig Albernaz’s staff.

The Orioles have hired Miguel Cairo as major league infield coach and Joe Singley as major league field coordinator and catching coach, according to sources.

Cairo, 51, most recently was Nationals' bench coach beginning in November 2023 and interim manager on July 7, 2025 after Dave Martinez’s firing. He played 17 seasons in the majors with nine teams, finishing in 2012 with the Reds.

Cairo has experience at every position except center field and catcher.

The Nationals interviewed Cairo for the managing job but chose Rays senior director of player development Blake Butera.

The Orioles made another depth move yesterday, signing reliever Richard Guasch to a minor league contract. He’s expected to receive an invitation to spring training.

Guasch, 27, posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.000 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 46 innings this year in 28 appearances with Double-A Erie. He also pitched in 13 games with an independent team in Mexico and allowed three earned runs with 25 strikeouts in 14 innings.

The Cuban right-hander has pitched in the Athletics, Nationals and Tigers system beginning in 2018, compiling a 4.02 ERA in 145 games and averaging 5.1 walks, 11.5 strikeouts and 0.6 home runs per nine innings. He’s never risen above Double-A.

The Nationals acquired Guasch, catcher Drew Millas and pitcher Seth Shuman from the Athletics on July 30, 2021 in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes, infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison and cash considerations. The Tigers purchased his contract earlier this year from the Mexican Baseball League.

Guasch’s fastball has touched 99 mph.

Judging from the opinions of outsiders in the industry, the Orioles will be the biggest spenders this winter, aim for one big strike and make a series of lesser moves, or spread out their money more evenly.

That should just about cover it.

Scouts, agents and others in the business agree on the shopping list and how, of course, the Orioles are buyers. An impact starting pitcher at near the top of the rotation should be the priority. The bullpen isn’t near complete, and not just because it’s missing a closer. The lineup needs a big bat. Leadership was lacking in 2025.

Otherwise, the perceptions about how the Orioles will operate are scattered and based too much on the past – whether previous payroll constraints or how a last-place finish in 2025 will motivate.

The qualifying offer won’t necessarily deter the Orioles from pursuing a free agent. And according to president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias, the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in December 2026 isn’t influencing how he conducts business.

The general manager meetings in Las Vegas are over, and Orioles president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias is flying back to Baltimore. He didn’t bring any new players but he’s gained some clarity on the trade and free agent markets.

The daily sessions have served their purpose.

Elias sat down with executives from other teams, agents and some players who showed up at the Cosmopolitan hotel.

“A lot of information gathering and a lot of meetings,” Elias said this afternoon.

“Overall it was really good. I can’t say anything happened, but this is how the offseason starts to develop usually is the conversations that initiate at the GM meetings.”

Trevor Rogers received some well-deserved recognition last night with the unveiling of the American League Cy Young ballots.

I didn’t think I’d be solely responsible for it.

Rogers tied the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen for ninth place, with both pitchers receiving a fifth-place vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is a back-to-back winner, followed by the Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet, the Astros’ Hunter Brown, the Yankees’ Max Fried and the Mariners’ Bryan Woo. Skubal received 26 first-place votes and Crochet the other four.

I put Skubal first, Crochet second, Brown third and Fried fourth, keeping me in line with the majority. The last spot came down to Rogers or Woo. I didn’t want to be viewed as a homer if I selected Rogers or a jerk if omitting him because I cover the team.

The Orioles’ coaching staff for the 2026 season has three confirmed outside hires and three likely holdovers.

A source confirmed tonight that Buck Britton, Drew French and Ryan Klimek are expected to remain with the Orioles.

Britton finished as third base coach and infield instructor after Tony Mansolino was named interim manager. French completed his second season as pitching coach. Klimek has served as pitching strategy coach since 2023.

Another source said earlier today that Britton might remain at third base but details had to be worked out and nothing was official. The team definitely had shown interest in retaining him.

Britton was promoted from Triple-A manager to major league coach prior to the 2025 season, but Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was fired on May 17, which led to a reshuffling of the staff.

New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is dipping into his past again with the hiring of Donnie Ecker as bench coach, which a source confirmed this afternoon.

Ecker, 39, served as Rangers' bench coach and offensive coordinator from 2022-24. They removed his bench coach duties prior to the 2025 season and fired him on May 4.

The shakeup included the hiring of former All-Star second baseman Bret Boone as hitting coach.

Ecker was on the Rangers’ staff when they swept the Orioles in the 2023 Division Series and won the World Series.

The Giants hired Ecker as one of their two major league hitting coaches prior to the 2020 season, which is where his career intersected with Albernaz, the team’s bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23.

The general manager meetings in Las Vegas probably won’t produce any trades for the Orioles. They tend to function more as a way to lay the groundwork for future discussions at the Winter Meetings, which are held next month in Orlando.

Of course, there are exceptions throughout the league. Not everyone comes home empty-handed.  

The Padres traded future Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox on Nov. 13, 2015. A day earlier, shortstop Andrelton Simmons went from the Braves to the Angels in exchange for shortstop Erick Aybar and pitcher Sean Newcomb.

The Twins traded future Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks to the Yankees at those same meetings, among the busiest in recent memory.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge came back to the Orioles in a Nov. 4 deal with the Cubs for cash considerations, the club’s only trade this month. President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias has done a lot more claiming and selecting than trading in November since his hiring in 2018.

The agreement with reliever Enoli Paredes yesterday on a minor league deal is the latest piece of business that’s so prevalent in the weeks following the World Series. Common throughout baseball and lacking in pizazz. More routine than riveting.

The last transaction from the Orioles was listed Friday, with pitcher Carson Ragsdale designated for assignment, though the club confirmed it the previous night while making several changes to the 40-man roster.

The moves this month aren’t generating much excitement among fans, but that’s typical for November. Depth signings and claims are easier to consummate and necessary to supply minor league teams and perhaps increase competitions in spring training.

Go back a year ago.

The Orioles signed right-hander Rodolfo Martinez to a minor league contract on Nov. 1, 2024. Three days later, they claimed right-hander Thaddeus Ward and catcher René Pinto on waivers and declined reliever Danny Coulombe’s $4 million option, all of it unfolding while I underwent open heart aortic valve replacement surgery, which made me a little late in reporting it.

The Orioles have a new first base coach, the latest move to build a staff under first-time manager Craig Albernaz.

A source has confirmed the hiring of Jason Bourgeois, who spent the past two seasons as first base and outfield coach with the White Sox. He wasn’t returning in 2026, which created an opportunity in Baltimore.

Bourgeois, 43, is replacing Anthony Sanders, who took a job as Tigers first base coach. Sanders also worked with the outfielders, a responsibility that now falls to Bourgeois.

This is the second hire for the Orioles after hitting coach Dustin Lind, who served as an assistant hitting coach with the Phillies.

Bourgeois had an eight-year major league career as a player, beginning with the White Sox in 2008. He also played for the Brewers in 2009, Astros in 2010-11, Royals in 2012, Rays in 2013 and Reds in 2014-15. He batted .253/.300/.326 in 317 games.

Baseball’s general manager meetings begin today in Las Vegas. The Orioles did some heavy roster shuffling last week to keep it at a full 40. Perhaps they can make the kind of progress this week that leads to other moves.

Pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez became free agents, and none of them are expected to return. Eflin’s back surgery diminished his chances but didn’t completely eliminate. He could stay on the market while teams monitor his recovery from back surgery.

Pitchers Félix Bautista, Grayson Rodriguez and Brandon Young were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. It’s a temporary reprieve for Bautista.

The bullpen added Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Cubs. I’m old enough to remember when it was the other way around.

The Orioles picked up the $9 million option and also could be responsible, per Cot’s Contracts, for performance bonuses for appearances and games finished, and award bonuses that include Reliever of the Year, World Series Most Valuable Player, All-Star selection and Gold Glove.

On the same day that the Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde, they also dismissed Tim Cossins, a close friend who served as major league field coordinator and catching instructor. The title wasn’t attached to anyone else on the staff. It just disappeared like the man behind it. 

The Orioles are in the process of hiring coaches for new manager Craig Albernaz, with the only confirmed addition being Dustin Lind as hitting coach. We’ll find out whether field coordinator and catching instructor are making a return.

Hyde and bench coach Robinson Chirinos also were former catchers. Chirinos won’t return.

Albernaz caught in college and in the minors, with arm strength and accuracy that became legendary for the people close to him. Everyone’s got a story. The ink hadn’t dried on his contract with the Orioles before media and fans began wondering how he might influence the careers of Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo.

Rutschman is a two-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year runner-up whose offense has declined since the All-Star break in 2024. The two oblique injuries didn’t allow him to get on any sort of roll.

The Orioles are just as busy making changes to their front office as they are the coaching staff and roster.

Matt Blood is receiving another promotion, according to sources, with a new title of vice president of player and staff development.

In his new role, Blood will continue to oversee all aspects of minor league player development and operations, but with duties expanded to provide executive support for manager Craig Albernaz in major league staff and player development, as well as supporting the sports medicine and performance departments.

The latest bump removes Blood’s title of vice president of player development and domestic scouting, which he held since October 2023.

The Orioles hired Blood in September 2019 as director of player development after he served as Rangers' director of baseball innovation. Blood had worked for three years as USA Baseball's director of the 18-and-under National Team Program, and he previously spent seven seasons as an area scout in the Cardinals organization, where he worked with Mike Elias.

Former Orioles third base coach and interim manager Tony Mansolino didn’t need much time to find a new job.

The Braves have hired Mansolino as third base coach under new manager Walt Weiss. Weiss replaced Brian Snitker, who announced his retirement.

Mansolino was hired as the Orioles' third base coach and infield instructor prior to the 2021 season and replaced Brandon Hyde as manager on May 17. The Orioles finished in last place but went 60-59 with Mansolino in the dugout.

President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias referred to Mansolino as a “real candidate” for the full-time job during the season-ending press conference, but the Orioles hired former Guardians bench coach and associate manager Craig Albernaz. Mansolino wasn’t going to be retained in a coaching capacity, though many players endorsed his return toward the end of the season.

"Managing under the interim tag will be the hardest thing I’ll do in my career in a lot of ways," Mansolino said on Sept. 29. "In a sense, it is your team, especially after the trade deadline and all the guys that came in. It did start to feel like my team at that point. Up until the trade deadline with the players that were here under the previous leader, it didn’t in a lot of ways, and I think that’s fair. I think people can understand that. It’s a challenge.

The Orioles need to replace all of their hitting coaches from the 2025 season.

They’ve settled on their lead guy.

Dustin Lind is set to become the club’s main hitting coach, according to a source. He replaces Cody Asche, who accepted a job as the Tigers’ assistant.

Lind, 37, has worked as Phillies' assistant hitting coach for the past two seasons and he has ties to new manager Craig Albernaz in San Francisco, where he served as director of hitting and assistant hitting coach from 2020-23.

The Mariners hired Lind in 2018 as a minor league quality assurance coach and a year later named him director of hitting development and strategies on the major league coaching staff.

The Orioles began yesterday with a full 40-man roster and finished it with a full 40-man roster.

Many of the names changed.

Pitchers Félix Bautista, Grayson Rodriguez and Brandon Young were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Pitcher Anthony Nunez had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, ahead of the deadline to do so. Cuban outfielder Pedro León was claimed on waivers from the Astros. Outfielder Leody Taveras signed a $2 million contract.

Outfielder Dylan Carlson elected free agency. The Orioles declined infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo’s $5.5 million option. Pitchers Josh Walker and Carson Ragsdale were designated for assignment. Pitcher Shawn Dubin was outrighted to Norfolk and became a free agent. The Mets claimed left-hander José Castillo on waivers.

Six added and six subtracted.

The Orioles are staying busy making roster moves that so far are geared toward improving depth and camp competitions.

A source confirmed earlier today that Cuban outfielder Pedro León has been claimed on waivers from the Astros.

León, 27, appeared in seven games with the Astros in 2024 and was 2-for-20 with 10 strikeouts. He played in 22 games with Triple-A Sugar Land this year and hit .241/.312/.422 with six doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs. He began the season on the injured list after straining the MCL in his left knee in spring training, with an eventual transfer to the 60-day IL.

The Astros put León on waivers two days ago.

León made the Pacific Coast League Triple-A All-Star team in 2024 after batting .299/.372/.514 with 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 118 games.