Zach Eflin’s offseason message to Baltimore: hopes to stay with the Orioles

Baltimore’s rotation situation will be shaped this offseason by what Zach Eflin decides next. The Orioles right-hander, who spent the 2025 season through a shortened and troubled run, is openly indicating that he would like to remain with the club. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Eflin hopes to stick with Baltimore as he weighs his future following a season that did not match either his or the team’s expectations.

The context matters because Eflin’s 2025 campaign was defined by scarcity of innings and a late injury development. According to MLB Trade Rumors, he finished the year with a 5.93 ERA over 71 1/3 innings. Those numbers came in a year that was also limited by health concerns. The report further states that after the Orioles brought him back on a one-year, $10MM deal last winter, his first start of the subsequent season included elbow discomfort.

Eflin’s elbow issue ultimately escalated to a well-known surgical outcome. MLB Trade Rumors reported that he underwent Tommy John surgery in early April. That is a major pivot point for any pitcher, because it changes the timeline for preparation, bullpen readiness, and in-season workload. For Baltimore, it also changes how quickly the organization can count on his impact if he returns.

From the club-building perspective, the Orioles have to plan a rotation that can survive the normal attrition of a long summer, and Eflin’s injury history from 2025 adds urgency to roster planning. The way MLB Trade Rumors frames the situation, Eflin’s stated preference is to remain in Baltimore, which would fit an organization that has leaned into stability and development in its pitching approach. Still, the practical question is how recovery timing lines up with the team’s competitive window.

The money and role attached to any return would also carry significance. MLB Trade Rumors referenced the one-year, $10MM contract that brought Eflin back last winter, and it is reasonable to interpret that past commitment as evidence the Orioles are at least familiar with his value profile when healthy. But the report also makes clear the relationship was disrupted by injury, so any new arrangement would have to balance desire, medical reality, and projected performance once he is fully back on track.

For fans, the next steps will be less about speculation and more about verification: whether Baltimore and Eflin can find common ground on a new deal, and how his recovery progresses toward a return to game-ready pitching. Even with a “hope to remain” message, the offseason typically moves quickly, and pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery are often handled conservatively. Monitoring official updates and spring readiness timelines will likely determine how soon the Orioles can lean on him again.