The Baltimore Orioles needed to address their pitching staff entering the offseason, and that's what they continue to do. They re-signed veteran right-hander Zach Eflin on Sunday night, per their social media.

"We have agreed to terms with RHP Zach Eflin on a one-year major league contract for the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027," they announced. "Welcome back to Birdland, Zach!"

We have agreed to terms with RHP Zach Eflin on a one-year major league contract for the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027.

Welcome back to Birdland, Zach! pic.twitter.com/gzKf31T3sk

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 29, 2025

The contract is worth $10 million, per The New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Baltimore originally acquired Eflin via a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2024. The 6-foot-6m 220-pounder went 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA over nine regular-season starts after that and allowed one run over four innings in the playoffs.

However, Eflin struggled in 2025. The 31-year-old went 6-5 with a 5.93 ERA over 14 starts and had season-ending back surgery in August. 

The Orioles need Eflin to get back to his pre-2025 form moving forward. They finished 26th in baseball with a 4.60 ERA this past season, one of the main reasons why they finished last in the AL East after making the AL Wild Card Round in 2024.

Zach Eflin Provides Continuity to New-Look Orioles

Baltimore has brought in plenty of new faces this offseason, but a healthy and reliable Eflin would be a stabilizing presence in the clubhouse next year. The 31-year-old has been in the big leagues since 2016 and has experience with competitive teams, as he pitched in 10 playoff games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 before pitching in one for the Rays and Orioles in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

So far, Baltimore has acquired superstar first baseman Pete Alonso, veteran outfielder Taylor Ward, starting pitcher Shane Baz, reliever Andrew Kittredge, and closer Ryan Helsley this offseason. Bringing back Eflin gives the organization a player that's familiar with it at a time when it has a new manager, coaching staff, and the aforementioned new players. However, Kittredge did play for the Orioles before they traded him to the Chicago Cubs last season.

Eflin is 68-67 with a 4.27 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 196 career outings (186 starts). His best season was in 2023, when he went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA over 31 starts for Tampa Bay. He also had a 3.38 ERA for Philadelphia in the 2022 postseason.

Despite the litany of moves, Baltimore is expected to remain active in the starting pitching market, via The Athletic's Will Sammon.