Andy Kostka
Orioles reporter
Andy Kostka is an Orioles beat writer for The Baltimore Banner, focused on telling stories that revolve around — and away from — baseball. He previously covered the Orioles for The Baltimore Sun, and before that he worked for The Clarion Ledger in Mississippi. Andy graduated from the University of Maryland and grew up in Rockville.
The latest from Andy
The decisions ahead of the Orioles: Pending free agents, arbitration cases, contract options
The Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series on Wednesday night, which means the baseball world transitions swiftly into offseason mode.
Orioles closer Ryan Helsley to exercise $14M player option for 2027
Ryan Helsley’s free agent market would likely have been capped due stints on the injured list.
Jared Banner is here to kickstart Orioles’ player development, plus other takeaways
"One of my main player development philosophies is we have to make practice more like the game, so the game gets easier once we get in there,” Jared Banner said.
Can Jared Banner fix the Orioles? Here’s what his mentors said.
According to those who worked alongside him throughout his life, there is no better position for Banner to find himself.
Maryland football coach Michael Locksley is stepping down
The university said the decision was mutual.
Orioles hire Jared Banner as general manager
Banner was assistant general manager of the Chicago Cubs.
Terps fire defensive coordinator Ted Monachino after loss to Rutgers
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and Zac Spavital will lead the defensive unit the rest of the season.
Pete Alonso passed the eye test. Should the Orioles first baseman be a Gold Glove finalist?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Christian Walker are the American League’s Gold Glove finalists at first base. However, Alonso was a bright spot in Baltimore’s lackluster defense.
Look away, Orioles fans. This time, 30 years later, the umpires made the right call at Yankee Stadium.
It was 30 years ago Friday that a kid named Jeffrey Maier became a New York hero and a Baltimore villain
What we know about the layoffs hitting the Orioles’ business operations
The Oriole Bird will be there next season. One of the employees who played the part won’t be, however.
Maryland football’s season and Michael Locksley’s tenure are in a tenuous spot
After beating Hampton and UConn to begin the season, the Terps lost to Virginia Tech, UCLA and Nebraska. They now face No. 5 Ohio State with questions circling about coach Michael Locksley’s job.
Orioles laying off members of business operations, including employee who played Mr. Splash
The exact number of employees affected wasn’t immediately clear.
Gunnar Henderson says he was ‘trying to force stuff to happen’ in 2026. Here’s what scouts saw.
Henderson’s chase rate rose to a career-high 30.4%, which means he swung at almost one third of pitches that were outside the strike zone.
What went wrong with the 2026 Orioles, according to their players
Shoddy defense meant the Orioles allowed the most unearned runs in all of MLB. The team’s 25% strikeout rate was the third-highest in the majors. They also didn’t win four straight games until July.
5 takeaways from the Orioles’ end-of-season press event: Biggest buzzword, Gunnar Henderson’s wrist and more
“At the end of the day, we have to make sure that we do the little things right and the fundamentals right and it really is more of a mental piece than actually physical,” manager Craig Albernaz said.
Orioles season ends one game short thanks to nor’easter
The Orioles finished the season 79-82.
Trevor Rogers loves the Orioles, but he’s excited to test free agency
It appears unlikely that Rogers will accept the qualifying offer, which was set at just above $22 million for 2026. Spotrac projects that his market value is about $32 million per year.
The Orioles must do something they haven’t done since 1986. Then get help.
Baltimore has a path to the postseason — but the Orioles need so many things to go their way.
