Can the Orioles hit a buzzer beater?

On Friday morning, general manager Mike Elias pointed out there’s still “time on the clock” this offseason and didn’t rule out the possibility of further additions to Baltimore’s roster, through free agency or the trade market. But Elias acknowledged that there’s a comfort level with the group assembled so far, and while the Orioles remain on the hunt for pitching, especially, if the right deal isn’t there, Elias won’t force one.

“I think just in general we were and are very aggressive this offseason,” said Elias after he and several players volunteered at Warehouse Collaborative. “We’ve got a great team, we’ve got an eager and a very robust new ownership group and we were out there and we got a lot of deals done and we’re maybe trying to do more.”

With about two weeks before pitchers and catchers report Feb. 12 to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Florida, there’s still time for a deal to come together. Last year, for instance, Baltimore swung a blockbuster deal to land right-hander Corbin Burnes in February.

There are options out there. Right-hander Jack Flaherty remains a free agent, as does righty Nick Pivetta. Should the Orioles look at the trade market, there’s the possibility of striking a deal with the San Diego Padres for Dylan Cease or Michael King, or with the Seattle Mariners for Luis Castillo, to name a few.

The Orioles’ farm system isn’t as loaded as it once was, in large part due to trades last season for Burnes and left-hander Trevor Rogers. That could open a door for Elias to move an established major leaguer in a package for a starting pitcher, and Elias acknowledged that there have been conversations throughout the winter revolving around that idea.

“I just think the fact that we’re willing to talk about it means that we’d be willing to do it if the right trade came about,” Elias said, “and as you get a more established, more talented major league team, like we’ve had the last couple of years, you get extra players that you can trade. It’s probably a growing possibility over the next few years.”

All of that is to say: Baltimore remains on the lookout for possible additions.

And as the Orioles search, Elias noted there’s a level of freedom in what the front office can pursue because of their ownership group, led by Baltimore-born billionaire David Rubenstein. Since new ownership took control of the organization a year ago, Elias said, he and his team have been “liberated” to engage in the player acquisition market as they see fit.

“He [Rubenstein] and his group are really putting my department in a position where we can run the team the way we feel is optimal,” Elias said.

Part of that is seen in the form of increased payroll. According to FanGraphs, the Orioles are projected to have an extra $54 million in salary compared to last season. But adding payroll for the sake of public relations isn’t Elias’ motivation.

“The payroll is up right now,” Elias said. “Like I said when it was lower, it doesn’t really count for anything. It’s the wins and losses that we care about. That’s nice, but it’s not really something that we talk about a lot or pay a lot of attention to.”

Even if the Orioles don’t make another splash signing or trade, Elias feels strongly that the club has strong depth and ability through all of its position groups. Baltimore signed Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals this winter, and they add a veteran presence to a young starting pitching core (although Sugano will be pitching in MLB for the first time).

And in the bullpen, with right-hander Félix Bautista set to ramp up during spring training following Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, there’s a belief a strong group could be even better. The Orioles added right-hander Andrew Kittredge to the mix as another late-inning option.

While the Orioles lost outfielder Anthony Santander and his 44 home runs to the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency, they signed Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson to be part of an outfield mix that includes Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad.

Kjerstad is one of several young players Elias expects to take a step forward in production this season, along with infielders Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. All three have experienced growing pains early in their major league careers after blistering performances in the minor leagues.

“I think we’re counting on them to settle in,” Elias said. “These guys were great prospects and great minor league players and they have great swings. They just saw Major League Baseball and major league pitching for the first time on a continual basis and it’s not abnormal, especially now, to see young prospects come up and have kind of early results that those guys did. But they’ve been working hard all winter.”

So, if this is it, Elias is confident of another run at an American League East title. But he’s not ready to call off the possibility of further additions until the offseason clock hits zero.

“At least until pitchers and catchers [report],” Elias said, “we’re going to be working the offseason like we always do.”