The Orioles aren’t necessarily banking on a bounceback from Yennier Cano, but it sure would help things fall into place.
Baltimore’s high-leverage relievers mostly dodged the spotlight during a disappointing 2025 season. The Orioles failed to secure many late leads, and individual performances were overshadowed by one giant cloud of disappointment. The starting rotation suffered multiple injuries, and the replacements failed to make an impact. All of the pitching issues seemed to blend together during the lost season.
The bullpen’s one shining moment came at the trade deadline when Baltimore dealt away the bulk of its late-inning options. Félix Bautista went down with a season-ending injury, and the bullpen transformed into a proving ground for castoffs and unheralded prospects.
Keegan Akin held his own as a dependable lefty (1.0 bWAR, 118 ERA+), but he stopped short of emerging as a potential closer. Meanwhile, the only other long-tenured reliever took a significant step in the wrong direction.
Yennier Cano posted a 3-7 record, 5.12 ERA and 1.483 WHIP. His 79 ERA+ was less than half the number he posted in 2023 (194 ERA+) and represented a large drop from his 123 ERA+ in 2024. He allowed a career-high seven homers, and hitters pummeled his changeup to the tune of a .417 batting average.
These are not the numbers of a guy you can trust heading into next season, and the Orioles have made a real effort to reduce uncertainty entering 2026. They signed a legitimate closer to fill in for Bautista. They inked Pete Alonso to a monster deal instead of asking Coby Mayo to replicate his September numbers. They shipped Grayson Rodriguez away for a known offensive commodity, and they remain active in the starting pitching market after resigning Zach Eflin and trading for Shane Baz.
Mike Elias made another move to bolster the bullpen by reacquiring Andrew Kittredge. That leaves Helsley, Kittredge and Akin as the only three relievers with a proven track record over the last few seasons. Cano burst onto the scene with a 2023 All-Star campaign that featured a salivating stat line, but last season left a sour taste. With a majority of the top free agent relievers off the market, it’s unclear what the Orioles expect out of the 31-year-old moving forward.
On paper, it appears that Baltimore will use a surplus of starting pitchers to help fill the bullpen. Both Cade Povich and Brandon Young profile as high-upside arms that could reach new heights in a relief role. The Orioles brought Albert Suárez back on a minor-league deal, and Tyler Wells could get bumped to the bullpen if everyone remains healthy.
It’s possible that the Orioles are perfectly content with their bullpen as constructed. Kade Strowd and Rico Garcia both flashed last season. Dietrich Enns could follow Suárez’s path back to relevancy, and Anthony Nunez could force his way into the conversation by the end of spring. Grant Wolfram and Yaramil Hiraldo bring some level of intrigue, and Chayce McDermott remains in the organization.
Complacency doesn’t exactly fit the pattern of the offseason up to this point, but there was only so much the club could do with such a high turnover from the start of last season. Elias acquired two top relievers in Helsley and Kittredge, and the roster remains filled with different forms of breakout candidates.
Everything could fall into place if Cano regains his form. That’s not the team’s only path to success, but it sure would make things easier. At his best, the 6-foot-4 righty is a guy that can generate ground balls and strike a pose. There appears to be a clear path back if he figures things out with his changeup and four seamer. Cano’s sinker, slider, and splitter continued to perform admirably in 2025.
Cano tweaked his changeup in the second half under the direction of pitching coach Drew French. The new pitch added three inches of vertical drop, and statcast began tracking a split finger by Cano over the final two months. Batters his .333 against the pitch in September, but the expected batting average for the pitch sat much lower at .108. On the season, Cano’s 3.69 xERA fell much lower than his 5.12 ERA, so there’s hope that he could experience better luck moving forward.
New skipper Craig Albernaz kept Drew French around and hired Hank Conger as the new bullpen coach. Cano could benefit from a blend of familiar philosophies and fresh advice. If needed, Cano still holds minor league options if he fails to meet expectations.
Baltimore’s reconfigured rotation and improved lineup should provide the bullpen more late leads. The roster is filled with pitchers that could potentially bridge the gap to Helsley in the ninth inning. The Orioles may not be banking on Cano to fill that void, but the unit would greatly benefit if he pitches to his potential in 2026.
Category: General Sports
