How Does Baltimore Orioles Pitching Flop Factor Into Next Season's Plans?

Can the Baltimore Orioles salvage one of their poor moves from this past season?

Aug 1, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles needed starting pitching ahead of this past trade deadline after they lost three Opening Day starters to season-ending injuries.

They were able to land veteran Zach Eflin, but at the time, the headliner deal was acquiring Trevor Rogers from the Miami Marlins since he was previously an All-Star and the Orioles gave up two of their better prospects to get him.

Unfortunately, things went off the rails for both parties.

Baltimore demoted Rogers to the minors after four outings where he allowed 15 earned runs in 19.0 innings pitched. He never made it back to up the MLB even after Grayson Rodriguez was ruled out for the rest of the year.

The Orioles will likely have the left-hander back in 2025 and beyond despite his brutal stretch. He is under club control for two more years, one of the reasons why they were comfortable giving up Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to land him.

But how does Rogers factor into the plans next season?

It's very likely he'll be on the Opening Day roster.

His struggles didn't change the fact that Corbin Burnes is likely playing elsewhere next year, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells won't be back for the start of the season, and there are huge questions marks regarding who will be part of this rotation.

Rogers performed better with Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate once he was able to work with the coaching staff, so the hope is this winter will allow him to regroup and find the form that had him finish with a 2.64 ERA in 2021.

Of course, his immediate involvement at the Major League level is all predicated on performance.

If the lefty looks awful during Spring Training, then there is a chance the Orioles do option him to Triple-A to begin the year, but if he is at least solid like he was with the Marlins, then he'll be on the Opening Day roster.