BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 26: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Adley Rutschman #35 after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 26, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
The American League East winners, the Orioles, will be increasing payroll even if they don’t sign any players this offseason.
Thirteen players on the Orioles roster who are eligible for arbitration are expected to sign new contracts when Major League Baseball’s arbitration deadline comes around this Thursday.
Already, four more have agreed to one-year contracts. Jorge Mateo, a shortstop, signed a $2.7 million contract in November. Keegan Akin, a left-hander, signed for $825,000, while Ryan McKenna and Sam Hilliard, two outfielders, each signed for $800,000.
MLBTradeRumors.com projects that the 17 players who are eligible for arbitration will make roughly $24 million more between them all than they did the previous year.
Some of the biggest increases are still to come. For example, outfielder Anthony Santander is projected to be due $12.7 million in arbitration as opposed to the $7.4 million he will make in 2023 as a regular player.
In general, a player needs to have served for at least three years and no more than six years in order to be eligible for arbitration. On the Orioles, there are many players who meet that description.
The following players, in addition to Santander, are awaiting their 2024 contracts: Infielders Ryan O’Hearn, Ryan Mountcastle, and Ramón Urías; outfielders Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays; left-handers Danny Coulombe, John Means, Cionel Pérez, and Cole Irvin; right-handers Tyler Wells, Dillon Tate, and Jacob Webb.
As a result, according to FanGraphs’ roster resource tool, the Orioles’ total payroll, which has been at or near the bottom of the league since general manager and executive vice president Mike Elias took over in 2019, should increase to roughly $85 million.
According to Spotrac, the Orioles had the second-lowest payroll in 2023—the league average was marginally over $165 million—at roughly $71 million.
