Taveras cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent Monday.
Taveras had one more year of arbitration eligibility, but the Orioles will allow him to look for work elsewhere rather than giving him a raise on the $2 million he earned in 2026. The 28-year-old appeared in 139 games for the Orioles last season and slashed .219/.288/.345 with eight home runs, 56 RBI, 58 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and a 41:124 BB:K across 482 trips to the plate.