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Baltimore Orioles Owner Makes Bold Statement About Team's Soaring Payroll
Jun 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein on the field before the game against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Baltimore Orioles Owner Makes Bold Statement About Team's Soaring Payroll

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Tyler Maher  |  Last updated Feb 18, 2025 11:00 AM ET

It may not feel like it, but the Baltimore Orioles are spending much more on their payroll than they did a few years ago.

In 2023, the Orioles spent just $68.7 million on player salaries, according to Spotrac. That was the second-lowest payroll in MLB, ahead of only the Oakland Athletics.

After raising its payroll by over $40 million in 2024, Baltimore increased it by more than $40 million again this winter.

Heading into the 2025 season, the Orioles have a payroll of $151.2 million (15th in MLB). That's a staggering 120% jump since 2023 and a 38% hike since last year -- one of the largest year-over-year spikes in the sport.

Baltimore fans can thank David Rubenstein's new ownership group for that. Rubenstein pledged to spend more aggressively than his notoriously stingy predecessors after purchasing the team from the Angelos family last year, and so far, he's delivered.

The Orioles have made major progress, but they still rank fourth in the AL East in payroll behind the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. If Baltimore wants to keep up, Rubenstein must keep investing in the team.

Fortunately, he appears willing to do so based on his recent comments about the team's finances at spring training.

When asked whether he'd allow the Orioles' payroll to approach $200 million, Rubenstein replied, "I don't have a financial limit...We want to put the best team on the field we can, and we don't have a constraint by saying there's a certain amount of money we'd spend."

Rubenstein added that Baltimore's ownership is willing to spend more money if necessary to put the best possible team on the field, emphasizing that "we don't have any particular financial constraints."

This is good news for the Orioles, who must be able to pay players market value and compete for top free agents if they want to keep pace with big-market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. After years of being hamstrung by ownership, the front office finally has permission to spend freely.

Rubenstein's aggressive approach has already paid dividends, allowing GM Mike Elias to acquire pricier veterans over the last two offseasons to bolster the team's young, inexpensive core. Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, Baltimore is well-positioned to make the postseason again in 2025 and compete for a World Series title.

The Orioles may not be the Yankees, but at least they're not acting like the Tampa Bay Rays anymore.

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This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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