Orioles general manager Mike Elias has done what he set out to do this winter.

Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez were signed to serve as replacements for Anthony Santander and James McCann. Two pitchers — Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano — inked deals as starting rotation depth.

Those were Elias’ goals, as he laid out earlier this offseason. They are not necessarily upgrades to what the team had in 2024, but Elias has done enough so far that if the season started tomorrow, they would have a full lineup and enough arms to field a five-man rotation — and then some.

But one area glaring area remains untouched: the bullpen.

The Orioles have made no additions, only subtractions, in that area this winter. While they can pull from their now overflowing list of rotation options — Albert Suárez, in particular, would be ideal to put into a reliever role and pitched out of the bullpen for parts of last season — it’s an area that can make or break a team. And right now, it’s looking like it might end up being the latter.

As it stands, their bullpen includes all right-handed options at the back end with a returning Félix Bautista (who general manager Mike Elias has said will not be pushed back into the closer role until he’s ready), Seranthony Domínguez and Yennier Cano.

Lefties Keegan Akin, who had a strong 2024, Cionel Pérez and Gregory Soto, and righties Colin Selby and Bryan Baker, are other options on the roster. Of that group, Akin, Cano and Selby have options; Bautista does, too. Barring any drastic downfalls, only Selby is likely to be sent down. That leaves them with just one workable spot, a tricky position for manager Brandon Hyde as he handles players’ workloads.

The Orioles’ 2024 season did not go downhill because of their bullpen — the finger can be pointed at the hitters — but they weren’t tested with a deep playoff run. Corbin Burnes pitched into the ninth inning in Game 1 of the wild-card series, leaving the team a fresh bullpen for Game 2. Facing elimination, Hyde used six relievers to cover five innings, and while the group only yielded one run, Baltimore lost 2-1.

The Orioles no longer have the luxury of an ace like Burnes, who signed with the Diamondbacks on a six-year, $210 million deal. That will put more pressure on the bullpen.

The teams that go the furthest in the playoffs have the best pitching. The Dodgers, who won the World Series, had the fourth-best bullpen in MLB and the Yankees, the American League champions, had the sixth-best, even with closer Clay Holmes’ downfall.

The Orioles were 23rd with a 4.22 ERA, but that included Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb, two of their most reliable relievers when healthy last season, posting a combined 2.71 ERA and covering 86 1/3 innings. The team did not pick up Coulombe’s $8 million option and non-tendered Webb, who has since signed with the Rangers.

There’s still time, and options, for the Orioles. The reliever market has been slow, with only a few top names signing thus far. The prices should be manageable for the Orioles — Aroldis Chapman signed with the Red Sox for $10.75 million, less than the Orioles are paying for Morton and Sugano.

Jeff Hoffman, coming off a career-best season with the Phillies, where he pitched to a 2.17 ERA and made his first All-Star appearance, could be a good fit, but is likely seeking a long-term deal worth somewhere in the $30 million to $40 million range. That shouldn’t be an issue for the Orioles, especially under new ownership, but given their track record, it’s more likely they will pursue a one-year deal, as they did last year with Craig Kimbrel.

That could leave someone like A.J. Minter, a left-handed pitcher who had a 2.62 ERA in just 34 1/3 innings for the Braves after a hip injury interrupted his season. Given his injury history, he’ll likely be more affordable, and a familiar face on the coaching staff — he worked with pitching coach Drew French in Atlanta — could be intriguing for him. Carlos Estévez, an All-Star in 2023 who pitched to a 2.45 ERA with the Angels and Phillies last year, or José Leclerc, who hunts strikeouts but comes with a 11% walk rate, are other options.

The trade market could also be viable for the Orioles, especially if they are seeking another pitcher with options. Elias has also had success on the waiver wire, but either way, one thing is clear: At some point, the Orioles will have to address the bullpen situation.