Baltimore Orioles Avoid Arbitration With Star Utility Man, Agree to Affordable Deal

The Baltimore Orioles and their star utility man have agreed to a contract for this season that avoids arbitration.
May 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jorge Mateo (3) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field
May 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jorge Mateo (3) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles pretty much know how their position player group is going to look heading into the upcoming season.

With a group full of established stars or burgeoning players who could take that next step in their careers, there are tough roster decisions the organization will have to make, and that was even before they added Dylan Carlson to the mix.

Someone looking to bounce back from an injury-shortened campaign in 2024 is Jorge Mateo.

The utility man was viewed as a player who could do a lot of things for this Orioles team, playing multiple positions on defense and changing games with his speed when he gets on base. Unfortunately, he had to undergo UCL surgery after being placed on the injured list in late-July, and he was never able to achieve the goals each party had.

Mateo could be an important piece of the puzzle this year.

While his offensive numbers are never going to blow anyone away with a career 80 OPS+, he was on pace to have one of, if not the, best showings at the plate across his five Major League seasons before he got hurt. And with a defensive bWAR of 3.2 he's more than serviceable.

The only thing that was a question mark was his contract situation.

Baltimore and Mateo couldn't agree to a salary before the Jan. 15 deadline, making it seem like the two were destined for an arbitration hearing.

However, the two sides have now come to terms on an agreement for the 2025 campaign, with Francys Romero stating it's for $3.55 million. He also reported a club option has been put in place for 2026 that's worth $5.5 to $6 million depending on how he performs this year.

Originally, the two couldn't come to an agreement because Mateo wanted $4 million while the Orioles wanted to pay him $3.1 million, per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

With the utility man now locked up to an affordable 2025 salary, and an even more affordable one for next season if he performs well during this campaign, Baltimore has just about every position player spot figured out heading into the spring.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai