Taylor Rogers would be a low-risk addition to the Orioles bullpen

Now that Ryan Helsley has been signed to close games for the Orioles in 2026, we probably shouldn’t expect any other massive additions to the team’s bullpen. But that doesn’t mean the unit is a finished product either. For a team that claims to have postseason ambitions next season there are still far too many unknowns in their relief corps. Adding a low-cost veteran to the mix would help to shore up the middle innings.

Taylor Rogers has done a lot in his 10 MLB seasons. He has played for six different teams, been traded five times, saved 83 games, and appeared in four postseasons. He has also collected over $53 million in paychecks, according to Baseball Reference. Much of that came from the three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the Giants ahead of the 2023 season. It’s a varied background that has included lots of success and some failure. Along with Helsley and Andrew Kittredge, he could provide valuable veteran insights and stability to a unit that has a need for both.

The nearly 35-year-old Rogers has been as dependable as you like throughout his career. That includes these last three years, where he has made at least 57 appearances out of the bullpen each year and had a season ERA between 2.40 and 3.83. Last year, which he spent between the Reds and Cubs, saw him post a 3.38 ERA, 4.38 FIP, and 130 ERA+ over 50.2 innings while striking out 53 and walking 23. Those numbers were even better before a string of three poor outings from August 27 through September 3, which saw him allow seven runs across 3.1 innings and swiftly balloon his ERA from 2.23 to 3.50 and his FIP from 3.36 to 3.78. Outside of that, he was really impressive once again.

As you would expect for someone a decade into their MLB career, Rogers is declining. His strikeout rate has come down four years in a row (still a decent 9.41 K/9 in ’25). His walk rates have ballooned from 2.66 BB/9 in 2022 to 4.35 BB/9 in ‘23, 3.30 BB/9 in ‘24 and then 4.09 BB/9 in 2025. The 1.24 home runs per nine and the 4.38 FIP he posted in 2025 were both career worsts.

But whomever signs Rogers would not expect him to be the all-star reliever he was back in 2021. They just need him to be a solid, left-handed option, capable of getting ground outs and facing hitters from both sides of the plate. Rogers fits the need there.

Historically, Rogers has dominated lefties to the tune of a .199/.277/.292 career batting line against. His numbers against righties are not as good (.259/.319/.427), but also not a total disaster. Those numbers have jumped around in recent years. During the 2023 season, righties OPS’ed .980 against Rogers while lefties were way down at .329. Then it reversed in 2024 (.647 OPS vs. RHB, .786 OPS vs. LHB). The difference was almost indistinguishable in 2025 (.788 OPS vs. RHB, .746 OPS vs. LHB). Teams probably prefer him against left-handed hitters, but he has survived in the post-LOOGY world just fine.

The Orioles’ current left-handed options in the bullpen are Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns, Grant Wolfram, and possibly Cade Povich, although he likely figures into the starting mix for now. Akin is the most proven of the crew, even stepping in as the closer near the end of 2025. Enns was really good for the Orioles late in the year after coming over from the Tigers, but he’s also a 34-year-old with 35 total MLB appearances. Wolfram has promising characteristics, which he showed in an up-and-down rookie season in 2025.

The point is that outside of Akin, the team doesn’t have a southpaw on the roster that you can feel overly confident will stick in the bullpen all season long. Rogers, despite his flaws at this point in his career, is someone that can be expected to be solid and healthy for the entire 2026 campaign

The cost to sign Rogers should be rather small as well. Prior to last season, he was dealt to the Reds with the Giants eating about half of his $12 million salary. So a one-year deal worth $6 million would seem to be his ceiling for 2026. More likely, he is going to get even less than that. If he were to accept something around the $3 million that Akin is projected to get in arbitration this year, it seems like a worthy gamble.

And at that price, this is really no risk for signing a player like Rogers. If they work out, that’s great. You got a solid season from a veteran in the middle innings. If it doesn’t, you cut bait and look to add a relief arm during the season. There tend to be plenty of options.

Mike Elias likes to add veterans on one-year deals. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But it won’t stop him from trying to find under-the-radar value on the free agent market. Perhaps Rogers can be the next roll of the dice.