A day after officially missing out on prize free-agent starter Framber Valdez, the Orioles subtracted from an already questionable pitching staff to add a utility infielder to their roster mix.
On Thursday, Baltimore traded right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and two minor-league players — right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia — to Arizona in exchange for infielder Blaze Alexander. The 26-year-old utility man is coming off a solid second season with the Diamondbacks in which he batted .230 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .706 on-base plus slugging percentage in 266 plate appearances and was worth 1.7 wins above replacement. Alexander is regarded as a good defender at both second and third base and has also started games at shortstop and in center field in the big leagues.
After parting ways with infielder Jorge Mateo in early November and trading veteran utility man Ramon Urias last July, the Orioles had been weighing whether Jeremiah Jackson was capable of handling the utility job for 2026. However, the fact that Baltimore used the 25-year-old only sparingly in the infield last August and September — he made 31 of his 41 defensive starts in right field — made it difficult to envision him as the primary backup behind starters Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday. Jackson batted .276 with five homers, 21 RBIs, and a .775 OPS in 183 plate appearances as a rookie last season.
Of course, the flip side to acquiring Alexander is parting with the 28-year-old Strowd, who pitched to an impressive 1.71 ERA and struck out 24 batters in 26 1/3 innings as a rookie last season. With president of baseball operations Mike Elias trading four relievers in last July’s sell-off, Strowd was one of the benefactors of increased opportunities and took advantage to the point that many were viewing him as an intriguing sleeper pick for a bullpen full of question marks entering spring training.
Though Elias signed two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal and reacquired veteran right-hander Andrew Kittredge after trading him to the Chicago Cubs last July, the Orioles are still looking too thin in the high-leverage department. Former All-Star closer Felix Bautista is expected to miss most or all of 2026 after undergoing major shoulder surgery last August, and former All-Star setup man Yennier Cano has declined in each of the last two seasons. That’s why Strowd’s lively arm and upside could have proven helpful in a bullpen with few proven commodities.
Aracena, 21, was acquired from the New York Mets in the Gregory Soto trade last July, and the 20-year-old Mejia spent most of last season in the Florida Complex League.
Below is a look at the potential Opening Day bullpen with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Sarasota next week:
RHP Ryan Helsley
RHP Andrew Kittredge
LHP Keegan Akin
RHP Yennier Cano
RHP Tyler Wells
LHP Dietrich Enns
RHP Rico Garcia
RHP Albert Suarez (non-roster invitee)
