Baltimore Orioles’ Targeted Spending Leading to Another Payroll Increase

That payroll estimate lines up with Fangraphs’ Roster Resource, which lists the Orioles’ 40-man roster payroll at $156 million.

How does that line up historically? Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Orioles’ highest payroll for any one season was $164 million in 2017. That dropped to $148 million in 2018, and the Orioles have been under $100 million ever since.

So, the Orioles are making good on spending money. The signings aren’t as splashy as fans might like, but they also serve a purpose in the short-term and long-term.

In the short term, outfielder Tyler O’Neill’s three-year, $49.5 million deal gives the batting order additional power. Signing starters Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals for a combined $28 million gives the rotation needed depth. The $10 million the O’s just gave reliever Andrew Kittredge gives them a quality set-up man that can also close when needed.

Long-term, the Orioles have a significant number of free agents next year. O’Neill can opt-out next year. Kittredge has a club option. Morton, Sugano, Zach Eflin, catcher Gary Sanchez, pitcher Seranthony Dominguez and infielder Ryan O’Hearn are all free agents after the season.

Assuming all of them come off the books that’s $91 million.

Long-term, the Orioles have significant decisions to make when it comes to long-term contracts for catcher Adley Rutschman, infielder Gunnar Henderson, infielder Ryan Mountcastle, outfielder Colton Cowser and pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. Opening up that spending pool allows the Orioles to attack those decisions next offseason.

The hope was that Baltimore would spend money this offseason. The Orioles have. The numbers don’t lie. They must now hope the short-term spend yields more than a first-round playoff exit.