The Baltimore Orioles need to make some tough decisions after having their worst season in three years. From winning the division title in 2023 to finishing 75–87 in 2025, their downfall has been bad. The Orioles fell to last place in the American League East, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022. They had three straight winning seasons and two postseason appearances. The collapse shows that there is a pitching crisis that can’t be ignored. Right now, they’re talking about getting Pablo Lopez, the Minnesota Twins’ $73.5 million right-hander.

Jim Riley, a prominent voice at BALLCAP Sports, has emerged as a vocal advocate for the Orioles pursuing Lopez. “Now, the frontline starter, that feels like something they can get, especially if they are looking to and willing to trade from the minor league system. So, why don’t we make a Pablo Lopez thing happen for the Baltimore Orioles?” Riley stated on his YouTube channel.

The Twins’ decision to trade Lopez during the offseason and save money on payroll is what led to this assessment. The Twins signed Lopez to a four-year, $73.5 million extension that runs through 2027. However, Minnesota’s financial restructuring, which is about reducing the budget and rebalancing roster costs, has opened up opportunities for teams looking for veteran rotation depth.

Riley’s suggestion is more than just a guess. Lopez had a 2.74 ERA over 75.2 innings when he was healthy in 2025, showing the kind of consistency that the Orioles really need. Riley notes that Lopez “slots above a lot of the guys they already have, guys that are really good, and adds to that rotation, makes the Orioles into a dangerous team when it comes to their starting pitching.”

Dean Kremer, Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Charlie Morton all had terrible stretches this season, which caused the Orioles’ rotation to fall apart. Grayson Rodriguez, the team’s best remaining starter after Corbin Burnes left, couldn’t play all season because of an elbow injury.

The Orioles’ pitching collapse represents a preventable failure. The organization failed to adequately replace Corbin Burnes, who departed in free agency last winter, leaving the rotation weakened from the start. Starting in May, Baltimore found itself 15 games below .500 and could never recover.

The bullpen compounded matters, spending most of the season ranked among baseball’s bottom 10 in ERA. These weren’t injuries or bad luck; they were mistakes made by the organization that management needs to fix. Lopez gives the Orioles a chance to rebuild their reputation and show that they can build a roster that meets the high standards of their fans.

Apart from Riley, MLB insider Mark Feinsand also called López a “potential trade target” for the Orioles. “To add one of the top starters, Elias will have to go outside of what has been his comfort zone, though there may be controllable trade candidates – Joe Ryan… and Pablo López are under control through 2027… who might be available if the Orioles are willing to move some of their young talent,” he said.

Miguel Cairo joins the Orioles to rebuild a winning culture

Adding star players won’t fix what went wrong with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles know that to win, they need smart coaches who know how to make winners and get back on track after losing. That’s why they hired Miguel Cairo as the infield coach. This shows that the team is serious about teaching players the right way to do things at all levels.

Cairo knows how to win because he’s been through the fire. He was in charge of the Washington Nationals when things went wrong. He took over after Davey Martinez left in July and had to deal with a team that was having a hard time, with a record of 29-43. Cairo learned how to adapt and survive in professional baseball during his 17 years as a player for nine different teams. He started coaching right away after he left the Cincinnati Reds in 2012.

Cairo didn’t take any shortcuts to get to the top of the coaching ladder. He began as a minor league infield coach with the Yankees in 2018. In 2021, he became a bench coach with the White Sox. In 2022, when Tony La Russa had to take a break for health reasons, he became the team’s interim manager. And that is exactly why the Orioles need him right now, because he has managed teams that were having trouble in the real world.

The Orioles also hired Joe Singley as their catching coach and field coordinator to make their whole development system stronger. These changes in coaching make it clear that talented people working together, not just big-name players, make teams that win.