There weren’t many areas on the roster where the Orioles looked particularly strong coming into the 2021 season. After all, they were still in the midst of a massive rebuild. Despite that, the team’s bullpen did appear poised to do well. Just about the entire unit was returning from a 2020 season in which they ranked ninth in MLB with a 3.90 ERA, and that included standout performances from Paul Fry and César Valdez.
Fry had transformed from a largely mediocre middle reliever in his first two big league seasons into one of Brandon Hyde’s most reliable arms, posting a 2.