By 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Orioles must offer contracts to their six arbitration-eligible players. The deadline was moved up by two days so that it would occur before an expected lockout begins on Thursday.
Let’s take a closer look at the six players and see what the Orioles might decide on each.
Trey Mancini
The senior Oriole, who is just one season away from free agency, could get $7.9 million in arbitration, according to calculations from MLBTradeRumors.com.
Mancini, who was used almost as much as a designated hitter than first baseman in 2021, made $4.75 million, the same salary he had when he missed the entire 2020 season because of colon cancer surgery and chemotherapy.
As the Orioles’ and baseball’s best feel good story of last season, Mancini was recognized last week with the third of his American League Comeback Player of the Year awards.
His most impressive number was his 147 games played. Although his numbers (21 home runs, 71 RBIs, .255 average and .758 OPS) weren’t the best of his career, they weren’t bad, especially when considering Mancini hit only two homers and drove in 11 runs after August 1st.
The Orioles haven’t made a move to extend or trade Mancini and could hold on to him until the July trade deadline—or perhaps beyond.
What happens with Mancini: The Orioles offer him a contract by Tuesday evening, but not an extension.
John Means
There was a report last week that the Orioles’ most accomplished starter was offered in trade talks. With the astronomical sums being paid top free-agent starters, it seems likely that the Orioles’ asking price for Means could climb even higher.
Obtaining a top left-handed starter with three years of club control should cost at least two top pitching prospects and other assets. His salary for 2022 is estimated at $3.1 million.
It seems unlikely that a Means trade will occur by Tuesday night, and he should be the team’s Opening Day starter in 2022.
What happens with Means: He’s offered a contract.
Anthony Santander
After playing just 37 games of the 60-game season in 2021, the switch-hitting outfielder was a finalist for the Gold Glove in right field and was voted the Most Valuable Oriole.
Santander’s stats were a .261 average and an .890 OPS, and he became the first Oriole to go to arbitration during the tenure of Mike Elias as executive vice president/general manager. He lost his case and got a $2.1 million salary.
In 2021, Santander, whose 2020 season ended three weeks early because of an oblique injury, sprained his left ankle in April, and it affected him for much of the season.
He also was on the Covid-19 injured list and injured his right knee in September. Santander hit .241 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs in 110 games and a .720 OPS.
His estimated salary for 2022 is $3.7 million and that may be too high for an outfielder whose defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) dropped from .7 to -.6.
What happens with Santander: The Orioles trade him for prospects. They have a number of outfielders (Ryan McKenna, DJ Stewart plus rookies Yusniel Diaz, Robert Neustrom and Kyle Stowers) that could take his place, either at the beginning of the season or later on. They also could sign a veteran free-agent outfielder as a placeholder.
Jorge López
The decision on López might be the most interesting one. While his overall numbers (3-14, 6.07) aren’t impressive, he might have enhanced his career by going to the bullpen late in the season.
In eight games as a reliever, López had a 2.16 ERA, allowing two runs on six hits in 8 1/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking just two.
López’s salary estimate is $1.5 million and while that might seem high for a young starter with a poor record, it seems reasonable for an effective reliever, something the Orioles need.
What happens with López: The Orioles offer him a contract, and he becomes a bullpen asset.
Tanner Scott
One of the reasons the Orioles need López is because left-hander Tanner Scott, who received some votes in the Most Valuable Oriole award in 2020, had a rocky 2021. Scott, who was 5-4 with a 5.17 ERA in 2021, had a 2.78 ERA in the first half of the season and a 9.82 ERA in the second half.
He was twice sent to the injured list because of knee injuries, and the Orioles are betting that he’ll rebound in 2022. Scott’s estimated salary for next season is $1 million.
What happens with Scott: The Orioles re-sign him, and he becomes a trade chip.
Paul Fry
Fry, who was a weapon in 2018 and 2020, had his worst season with the team in 2021. While he had a 4-5 record with two saves and a 6.08 ERA, his August ERA was 21.86.
While some believe Fry suffered because of the Major League Baseball crackdown on sticky substances, he thrived in July (2.79 ERA and 0.724 WHIP), the month after umpires began checking pitchers.
Fry was sent to Triple-A Norfolk on August 29th and didn’t return to the Orioles. His estimated salary for 2022 is $1 million.
What happens with Fry: Now that the Orioles have added another left-handed reliever, Cionel Pérez, to the 40-man roster, Fry is dealt for a prospect or two.
Note: The Orioles have released right-hander Brooks Kriske. He was claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees on September 16th and was 1-0 with a 12.27 ERA in four games. There are 39 players on the 40-man roster.
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View Comments
OMG, Ryan McKenna? This guy can't hit a lick, DJ Stewart. Lol. Talk like means prepare Birdland for another 100 plus losses in 2022. If I was the commissioner I would definitely have a problem with the Baltimore. Apparently the warehouse has said again that Brandon Hyde will not be judged on wins and losses in 2022! This is not the way you sell season tickets.
Trade Anthony Santander? Unless you're getting somebody named Robinson in return,this is just a plain old stupid idea.
Worst time to try and trade him.
BRR, Orioles management and ownership seem to embrace short-sighted 'stupid ideas.' Trust the process.
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Adley Rutschman was traded for peanuts.
I think we should have a moratorium on suggesting that the Orioles are forcing injured players to take the field. That notion is insulting to the intelligence of all baseball fans. I'm so tired of hearing how so and so was "never right" after his whatever was injured. There's a good possibility that the reason for a performance problem was a slump or lack of talent. Playing someone who is hurt reflects badly on management, so these excuses aren't having the desired effect of turning something negative into something hopeful.
Where did someone say anything about the O’s forcing injured players to play…I must’ve missed that one, seems like, if anything, they baby them & sit them for the weakest reasons…go O’s…
The writers all fall back on the injury excuse to explain away poor performance. He never was the same after his....April ankle sprain. Geez, these are young studs! If they can't overcome an April injury by August, something is seriously wrong. I think that example was Santander.
Many of these type of nagging slow-to-heal injuries this year were frequently blamed on a shortened season last year. Particularly regarding the pitching side of things.
I can’t judge the credibility of that, but it was an oft quoted reason and apparently cited frequently across MLB.
I’m the first to say “toughen up buttercup” and all that, but maybe there’s truth to it. Just throwing it out there.
Get a prospect or 2???????????? For Fry? LOL!
I think Santander gets traded. Stowers will be up soon. Mancini will probably get tendered. Same with Lopez. Fry can probably fetch something. Can we non tender Stewart? Get rid of him.
I sometimes think we're be a bit free about the word "prospect." Every minor leaguer under 30 years old is not a prospect. I think a prospect is a young (under-23 in today's sports world) player who has demonstrated talent and needs only time and experience to become an above-average player, even a star. A mediocre major leaguer is not going to attract multiple prospects in trade. We have arguably the best minor league teams already. Are we expecting better minor leaguers than we already have? And how many prospects would you want for a John Means, assuming that he will get healthy enough not to miss long stretches with a tired arm? You have to ask for major league quality in return, unless you like the football trade of all the team's draft choices for Ricky Williams.
The Rangers spent 500 million in the last few days. The Rangers won 60 games in 2021. I know the rebuild is in full swing, but when can we have some competitive hope?
Valid point icterus. I would argue that you begin to form a competitive team this year since the plan is to bring up 2 of your best prospects. Why waste a year of control? Sign some free agents and maximize your window to win with these young guys. If the rebuild starts with Adley, you have to get pitchers and infielders at the major league level this year.
IF and BS, You say that "...The rebuild is in full swing." And we should "begin to form a competitive team this year..." I would love to know on what factual basis your runaway optimism is based. None of our super prospects has yet demonstrated MLB excellence. The pitching staff is awful. And if we trade any of our solid performers, next season threatens to be worse than horrific.
Not in full swing until they start spending some $ on significant FA & try to win games at the major league level…go O’s…
No need to trade the Quad M’s. With the possibility of rutschman, Grayson & DL coming up it is time to start paying free agents. Specifically pitchers. Especially since we don’t have much prospects in pitching after Grayson & DL. Our bats are ready to compete. Sign a SP or two & get a few key pieces in the bullpen.
If you wanna know what’s wrong with MLB now look no further than the Anthony Santander part of this article. He was O’s MVP, even tho he played only 37 games, in 2020. He goes to arbitration, loses his case and is given $2.1 million. He has an injury riddled season in 2021 and puts up poor numbers, a .241 average with 18 HRs and 50 RBIs. Yet he’s set to receive $3.7 million! Are you kidding me?! I know, I know, I’m an older fan but when I was young a player coming off a season like that would’ve been expected to take a PAY CUT. It’s not the enormous salaries guys like Scherzer sign that upset me, he’s earned it. But to see a guy get about a 75% pay increase coming off a bad season, I’m sorry, that’s ridiculous. I hate WAR, but maybe there’s something to partly basing guys salaries on it. What a joke.
You’re the man DL, totally agree, in a normal workplace he wouldn’t get a raise for that type of performance, he wouldn’t get a pay cut, he’d get canned…go O’s…
DL and CalsPals are both on target -- but I would keep Santander for another year. I still think he has a chance to be of average to above-average value and is a switch-hitter, also, remember.
Just read that O’s and Santander have agreed to a $3.1 million deal. Jimmy’s, I agree with you that Santander has chance to be above average. His j jury shortened 2020 season proved that. He just dud the deserve a raise fir what he dud thus past season. I’m actually looking for him to have a bounce back season if he remains healthy.
I agree with you dl!!! Santander is due for a bounce back year. And that's when you trade him - selling high at next years trading deadline!!! And also from a position of strength w/ Stowers being ready for a promotion to the ml roster to play right field. Hopefully the Orioles get a good prospect starting pitcher in return for Santander.
Read the Orioles and Jorge Lopez agreed to a 1.5 mm salary. And Orioles agreed to a 1 year major league deal with to sign Rougned Odor to play second base. I believe Texas pays his 12.5 mm salary and Orioles pay the minimum.
And lastly, I read that all the recent FA player signings came to a total of 1.8 billion dollars and climbing, so I don't want to hear the players crying they need more money with this new CBS deal!!!
I didn’t proofread that before I sent it. Hopefully you got my point.
Major league minimum. Sweet music to Elias! Enter Odor?
Trying to placate the masses…go O’s…
I want to know why they don't put mountcasle at second base, He came up as a shortstop,and keep Mancini at fist