Mailbag

Could Orioles sign multiple players to extensions? | MAILBAG

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE

Question: Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are all represented by Scott Boras, who has said that he wants his young, talented clients to go into free agency. How will the Orioles deal with the potentially very large salaries in 2026, 2027? It seems to me that they will have to offer these three players very large contract extensions to mitigate Boras’ modus operandi. From: Carl LaVerghetta Annapolis

Answer: That would be a happy problem to have, Carl. Other than outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who’s also a Boras client and has an opt-out after the 2025 season, the Orioles don’t have any players signed to contracts beyond this season. Relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge, whose contract is not yet official, reportedly has a $9 million option for 2026.

While the team’s payroll is currently $155.8 million, much of that money is allocated to players who will be free agents after 2025, so there’s great flexibility to sign multiple young players to extensions.

Question: At arbitration hearings, does a team attorney criticize a player in front of them? Is the player there, either physically or via video? From:  Timothy Morris, Butchers Hill

Answer: Tim, always good to get questions from Butchers Hill, a great neighborhood. The press doesn’t cover arbitration hearings, but from my understanding, teams try not to make the cases personal, although it’s understandable that players feel that way.

It’s my understanding that it’s more of presenting cases of comparable players rather than focusing on if a player has, for example, a poor average with runners in scoring position.

Jorge Mateo is the only Oriole slated for an arbitration case this year. He’s asked for $4 million, and the Orioles have offered $3.1 million. His agent will try to make the case why he’s worth $4 million by finding examples of players similar to him, and the team will do the same. The players are present for the hearings.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

 

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

Share
Published by
Rich Dubroff

Recent Posts

  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles place Mountcastle on injured list with strained right hamstring, recall Mayo

BALTIMORE—Another day, another Oriole on the injured list. On Friday, centerfielder Cedric Mullins was placed…

May 31, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Coby Mayo on deck again for Orioles

Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle left Friday's game with right hamstring discomfort after he stole…

May 31, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Eflin’s strong start, Mountcastle’s steal of home key Orioles’ 2-1 win over White Sox

BALTIMORE--What happened? Because of a dire weather forecast, the Orioles moved up their game against…

May 31, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles place Mullins on injured list with right hamstring strain; Mabry hired as senior advisor

BALTIMORE—Orioles centerfielder Cedric Mullins was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a strained…

May 30, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles move Friday’s game time to 4:30 because of forecast

The Orioles have moved the start time of Friday night's game against the Chicago White…

May 30, 2025
  • Mailbag

Would Orioles consider not letting Bradish, Wells pitch in 2025? | MAILBAG

Question: If it’s pretty clear on August 1st that the Orioles are not in contention…

May 30, 2025