Baltimore Orioles Have Done an Excellent Job Avoiding Bad Contracts

The time has come for the Baltimore Orioles to take some risks and spend some money

Oct 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are preparing for a very important offseason, as after a short-lived playoff run, the team has a lot of big decisions to make this winter. 

Even though the Orioles were eliminated from the playoffs early this campaign, this is a roster that has a lot of young talent and a core that is capable of competing for years to come. 

The rebuild for Baltimore is certainly over as a lot of their top prospects have come up to the Majors and have made an impact. 

This offseason, the Orioles will have to make some big decisions regarding free agency, as they have two key performers from last season hitting the open market. Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander will both be free agents this winter, and with Burnes being the best pitcher on the team in 2024, and Santander being their best power hitter, a lot of tough decisions will need to be made. 

Fortunately for Baltimore, since the team has been in rebuilding mode and hasn’t really spent in recent years in free agency, they should have some money to retain at least one of the two. 

Keeping bad contracts off the books is so important for a franchise, as it can impact decisions for years. Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report spoke about potential nightmare contracts. Fortunately for Baltimore, they didn’t have anyone mentioned.

“This is almost certainly going to change this winter, be it through a long-term free-agent deal or overdue extensions with one or more core stars. But for now, the only money on Baltimore's books in 2026 is Eloy Jiménez's $18.5 million contract option. This is the same Eloy Jiménez they recently demoted, so that option is as good as declined.”

With a team full of young and talented players, the Orioles haven’t had to lock anyone up long-term yet. However, as the team looks to sustain some of their recent success, they are going to have to start signing free agents and locking up some of their young talent long-term. 

For this offseason, signing Burnes long-term should be the No.1 priority. The starting rotation would have been lost without him this season, and he is deserving of being the ace of this staff for years to come. 

In addition to Burnes, locking up a young player like Gunnar Henderson could be beneficial in the big picture as well. 

Since Baltimore doesn’t have any bad contracts looming in the near future, it is a clear indication that they should be looking to spend money soon, but make sure that they do so wisely.