The time has come to move on to 2026.

The Orioles shipped away most of their expiring contracts at the MLB trade deadline. Just starters Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano remain. That means the players they are trotting out in the last two months of the season are also largely the same options they’ll have entering spring training.

Who are the Orioles’ options for 2026? And how much outside help will they need to achieve their goals?

A look at where things stand:

Starting pitchers

Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez, Cade Povich, Brandon Young, Chayce McDermott, Cameron Weston

The Orioles’ biggest failure last winter — and a big part of the reason they are in this position to begin with — was not acquiring a top starter. Will general manager Mike Elias correct that this winter and front the money and long-term contract it’ll likely take to acquire someone?

In an ideal situation, the Orioles would get two starters, a true No. 1 and another who can fill the second or third spot.

Bradish, who made his fourth rehab start Sunday after having Tommy John surgery in 2024, should end the season in the majors, have a normal offseason and be ready to go for spring training. The goal is to get him enough innings this season so he doesn’t enter next year on a limit — as is common with pitchers coming back from elbow surgeries. No matter what, counting on someone coming off a major injury is a big gamble, even if it’s someone who finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting in 2023.

Expecting Rodriguez to lead the rotation, as the Orioles did going into this season, is also a bad idea. If he works out, it would only benefit the team. But he hasn’t pitched an inning this year as elbow and lat injuries have piled up, and now may need season-ending elbow surgery. He has a 4.11 ERA in 43 career starts. The Orioles believe, when he’s healthy, there’s more in there.

Wells, also coming back from elbow surgery, falls into a similar category as Bradish and Rodriguez. In the first two months of 2023, he pitched to a 3.21 ERA before fatigue sent in. He should also return before the end of 2025, but it’s not known if he’ll go back to a starting role or the bullpen.

Rogers has been the team’s best starter since being recalled in June. Kremer can line up at the back end of the rotation, with Povich, Young and McDermott as depth pieces. Weston, the Orioles’ No. 25 prospect, likely won’t be in contention for opening day but could find his way to the majors at some point. He has a 4.95 ERA with Triple-A Norfolk this season.

Relievers

Félix Bautista, Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Yaramil Hiraldo, Elvin Rodriguez (club option $1.35 million), Grant Wolfram, Scott Blewett, Cody Poteet, Colin Selby, Keagan Gillies, Kade Strowd, Houston Roth, Albert Suárez

The good news is the Orioles have Bautista under control for two more seasons. The bad news is, after missing last season after Tommy John surgery, he is injured again with shoulder inflammation that’s so severe doctors can’t see what the true problem is. The rest of his season is murky, and the problem could impact his availability for the start of next year.

Beyond him, Akin and Cano, the bullpen is a mess. Suárez, who was helpful as a starter, long reliever and even late-inning bullpen arm in 2024, could take on a key role in the bullpen if he’s healthy, which he hasn’t been this season. Beyond that, it’s a bunch of waiver claims and call-ups who are filling spots for the rest of the season after the Orioles traded four veterans.

This is where the Orioles need to make the most impact this winter, and it’ll likely take signing three or four players to make it a viable unit next year.

Catchers

Adley Rutschman, Maverick Handley, Samuel Basallo

Rutschman, whom the Orioles have under control for only two more seasons, is set. It’s likely that Basallo, the Orioles’ No. 1 prospect, will debut in the last two months of the 2025 season and be a key part of the 2026 roster, but what’s not known is where he’ll fit. Getting his bat in the lineup will matter more than which position he is playing — he’s hitting .268 with a .965 OPS.

The ideal situation for Basallo is to have him in a combo catcher and designated hitter role, with perhaps some first base sprinkled in. To do that, Baltimore probably needs a true backup catcher on the bench. Handley, who debuted this year but has been on the injured list with a sprained right wrist, is their top option, but it’s likely they’ll go get someone this winter, as they did with Gary Sánchez last year.

Infielders

Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Jordan Westburg, Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo, Ryan Noda

The Orioles infield should largely look the same next year, with Mountcastle at first, Holliday at second, Henderson at shortstop and Westburg at third. Mateo, who has a $5 million club option and can play second, shortstop and third, will probably be used off the bench, while Mayo could be a designated hitter who sees time at first.

This is the core that the Orioles think can lead the team to success in 2026, but they will need to take steps on and off the field if that’s going to happen.

Outfielders

Tyler O’Neill (player option), Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Dylan Beavers

It’s hard to imagine O’Neill not picking up his $16.5 million player option, given how this season has gone. He’s had three stints on the injured list, and when’s been healthy, aside from a recent hot stretch, hasn’t been much of a contributor. He’s hitting .210 with seven home runs in 41 games.

Cowser is the only center field option with major league experience, and interim manager Tony Mansolino said he wants to keep him in left field, at least at this point, as he tries to improve his offense. A year after finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year voting, Cowser is hitting .219 with a .288 on-base percentage. If that stays the case — and even if it doesn’t — the Orioles should seek an experienced everyday center fielder, preferably a right-handed hitter to help balance the lineup.

Kjerstad is an option as well, but he might get leapfrogged in the depth rankings soon. He was optioned to Norfolk in June after hitting .192 with a .567 OPS in the first two months of the season. He hasn’t performed any better since being demoted — hitting .149 in 27 games — and is now sidelined with fatigue.

Beavers, who is expected to make his debut this year, can play the corners. He’s hitting .307 in Triple-A with a .941 OPS and is expected to enter spring training in contention for a spot on the opening day roster.