The Baltimore Orioles have been eliminated from postseason contention, meaning they can now focus on the offseason. There’s already been discussion on who the team is going to target and where their biggest needs are. Pitching is their biggest need, along with a hole or two in the outfield.
What hasn’t been discussed are the pieces that might be leaving in the offseason. The team has one impending free agent and four others that will become free agents in 2027. It doesn’t include other players that might switch teams in the offseason to make room for big signings.
Three Orioles Who May Be Departing This Offseason
Will Tomoyuki Sugano Stick Around?
The 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano is arguably the biggest impact signing for the team coming off the 2024-25 offseason. He started well, holding an ERA under 3.50 through April and May with a WHIP consistently around the 1.100 mark. While he did surrender around one hit per inning, he didn’t constantly walk batters, boding well for his decent start.
Tomoyuki Sugano kept rolling in August, firing five scoreless innings against the Red Sox and trimming his ERA this month to 2.01. pic.twitter.com/XjaZlFjXBn
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) August 20, 2025
As the season went on, his hit rate increased to well over one per inning, and his walk rate slowly increased. What made it worse was his soaring ERA, eclipsing 6.00 for June and 5.75 for July. Sugano surrendered an American League-leading 30 home runs as well, along with a low 16% strikeout rate.
With all of this in mind, it’s unlikely the Orioles will re-sign Sugano to the team. His numbers are not sustainable for any pitcher in the long run, even if he were to be moved to the bullpen. The team could place him in the bullpen, but there are better options.
Tyler O’Neill’s Contract Is Eating The Team
Amid a lackluster offseason, Tyler O’Neill was billed as the Orioles’ second premier free agent signing. He started his tenure rather amicably, hitting a .215/.284/.668 with two home runs in April. Subsequently, he collapsed in May while hitting under .100 in six games and then getting injured.
After returning from the injured list, O’Neill had a productive July by going .259/.339/.931 with five home runs. He only played nine additional games in the next two months, however, as injuries piled up. His hard-hit percentage and exit velocity decreased substantially despite not losing any bat speed.
Tyler O’Neill since coming off the IL on July 4:
.292 BA
.375 OBP
.667 SLG
1.042 OPSHe’s now homered in four straight games. pic.twitter.com/o2MLaFxCVy
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) July 29, 2025
O’Neill still has a route to be on the starting roster in 2026, but likely as a fourth outfielder given the emergence of Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser. If Enrique Bradfield Jr. improves his hitting in the minors, then the 30-year-old veteran might be out of a job. His July might have bought him some time, and he does have an opt-out for 2026, but his $16.5 million cap hit could be too much for the team.
Ryan Mountcastle’s Decline
Ryan Mountcastle‘s decline this year is the culmination of many factors. While he still hits the ball hard, his power numbers have decreased dramatically over time. Whereas 35% of all his batted balls were grounders in 2021, that number jumped to 46% in 2025. His flyball rate also plunged to a career low of 22%.
Mountcastle is not getting under the ball like he used to and is rather swinging above the ball. This isn’t even including the fact that he holds one of the highest chase and whiff rates in all of baseball. Something is wrong with the veteran first baseman’s swing, and it could be time to jump ship.
No team would likely trade for Mountcastle one-on-one, so he would likely be bundled with a prospect package. Regardless, his job is in jeopardy as the team could look to get a Japanese first baseman, Kazuma Okamoto. It won’t be easy, but the team is very likely to move on from him in 2026.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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