The first surprise of the Orioles’ offseason is here.

On Monday, the Orioles declined Danny Coulombe’s $4 million team option for 2025, instead allowing the left-handed reliever to hit free agency. But the club did exercise their team options for right-hander Seranthony Domínguez, slugger Ryan O’Hearn and Cionel Pérez.

Since joining the Orioles in a cash trade shortly before the 2023 season, Coulombe has been one of the Orioles’ best bullpen arms and one of the top lefty relievers in the American League. In 81 innings over the past two years, Coulombe posted a 2.56 ERA and a sparkling 0.951 WHIP as manager Brandon Hyde regularly used him in high-leverage situations.

Coulombe, however, is 35 years old and underwent surgery in June to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. That was the second elbow surgery of his career and his second time going under the knife since 2022 when he had hip surgery. He returned in late September, and while he was effective, he wasn’t used in high-leverage situations. The Orioles also have plenty of left-handed relievers with Pérez, Gregory Soto and Keegan Akin.

The club options for Domínguez and O’Hearn are for $8 million, while the Orioles and Pérez avoided arbitration when Baltimore picked up the left-hander’s $2.2 million option.

The moves come after Baltimore announced Friday that it declined Eloy Jiménez’s $16.5 million team option as expected. The Orioles acquired Jiménez at the trade deadline, and the former Silver Slugger struggled at the plate as he had previously with the Chicago White Sox.

The decisions to pick up O’Hearn, Pérez and Domínguez’s modest options are not surprises. Under previous ownership, spending $8 million for a platoon designated hitter/first baseman and $10.2 million combined between two relievers might have been in question. But with David Rubenstein at the helm, it was assumed the Orioles would accept the pay raises for these productive players, and they mostly did aside from Coulombe.

Since joining the Orioles in 2022, Pérez is 13-3 with a 3.12 ERA as one of Hyde’s most trusted relievers. Last year, he posted a 4.53 ERA and did not allow a home run in 53 2/3 innings.

O’Hearn came to the Orioles in a cash trade before the 2023 season, and he’s been a revelation since. After spending his time in Kansas City as a struggling left-handed bench bat, O’Hearn has slashed .275/.329/.450 — good for a .779 OPS — in Baltimore over the past two seasons. This past season, he was a finalist to start the All-Star Game at designated hitter after his excellent first half. The New York Post was first to report the Orioles exercised O’Hearn’s option.

Domínguez joined the Orioles at the trade deadline when general manager Mike Elias sent Austin Hays to Philadelphia for the hard-throwing righty. After Craig Kimbrel’s summer struggles, Domínguez became the Orioles’ closer and mostly excelled, converting 10 of 11 save opportunities. He posted a 3.97 ERA and allowed six homers in 22 2/3 innings with Baltimore. The 29-year-old right-hander will likely be a setup man for closer Félix Bautista in 2025.

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