Baltimore Orioles' Four Best Contracts on Next Season's Payroll

The Baltimore Orioles have made the playoffs twice in as many years and could very well do it again in 2025.

Sep 22, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) high fives Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) after scoring during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers after at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles young core of prospects has arrived over the last two years, and in a massive way.

Their young offense has helped lead the charge as they made their way into the postseason twice in as many years, the first time the club has played October baseball in consecutive seasons since 1996-1997.

The Orioles still have the lion's share of their roster under team control for many years to come, and the majority of those players have not even reached arbitration eligibility yet.

While Baltimore's payroll is full of pre-arbitration players and veterans under contract, not all deals are created equal, and these are the four best currently on the team's payroll.

All figures accurate as of December 2

LF Colton Cowser

Left fielder Colton Cowser was never as highly-touted a prospect as others on the roster like Adley Rutschman or Jackson Holliday.

Despite the lack of acclaim leading to his Major League debut, Cowser has quickly made a name for himself with his first full season garnering him a runner-up finish in the American League Rookie of the Year race with a 24-home run campaign.

The young stud is more than capable of manning all three outfield positions with ease, and could bring home a Gold Glove or two before all is said and done, with a career total of nine Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant.

The club deciding to do away with Walltimore in left field is going to help the slugger, too, on both offense and defense and will only increase his value.

Pre-Arb, League Minimum

Colton Cowser 463

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SP Grayson Rodriguez

Here's the thing: with Corbin Burnes a free agent and potentially landing on another team, the Orioles need all the help they can get in the rotation.

While Grayson Rodriguez has not lived up to the high expectations that everyone once had for him, he has still been a solid contributor when healthy.

His changeup is one of the best off-speed offerings in baseball, with a combined 15 runs of value between 2023 and 2024 per Baseball Savant, and with a career whiff rate of 28.1 percent, he has shown that he is capable of missing bats.

Rodriguez needs to stay healthy in 2025, especially if Burnes does not return to Baltimore, and prove that the high expectations were not pipe dreams.

At league minimum, and only just turning 25 in November, the upside for Rodriguez makes his spot on the payroll one of the four best.

Pre-Arb, League Minimum

RP Seranthony Dominguez

The Orioles acquired Seranthony Dominguez at the 2024 trade deadline from the Philadelphia Phillies, and the veteran performed much better down the stretch with his new club.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of a career for the reliever, with ERA+ totals ranging from 140 to 90, but he is still a valuable piece at the back end of a bullpen.

Dominguez has shown that he can serve as a setup man or a closer with his 38 career saves, 10 coming in his short time in Baltimore.

While he is not an elite-level bullpen arm, he is on a team friendly deal for a pitcher of his caliber, and should have a bounce back campaign in 2025 before entering free agency for the first time.

One-Year, $8 Million

SS Gunnar Henderson

A list like this would not have been complete without the addition of the top-five American League MVP finisher Gunnar Henderson.

It was a tale of two halfs in 2024 for the young star, and that could have played a major role in the MVP voting, though he did still post a 159 OPS+ on the year with 75 extra-base hits including 37 home runs.

Henderson is entering his age-24 season in 2025, and can only get better as he gets closer to his prime years.

Like Cowser above, the left field wall returning back to a normal dimension can only help the young slugger as he can now look to go the other way for power, too, which could see Henderson top 80 or more extra-base hits next year.

Pre-Arb, League Minimum