Baltimore Orioles Sign Former Cardinals, Rays Outfielder Dylan Carlson to 1-Year Deal

Dylan Carlson finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021 before struggling and getting traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024.

Aug 16, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Dylan Carlson (10) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent outfielder Dylan Carlson, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Carlson finished last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, who non-tendered the 26-year-old in November. He had only just arrived in St. Petersburg via trade at the 2024 deadline, spending the previous eight years in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Carlson's deal will be worth $975K. He can earn an additional $25K if he reaches 200 MLB plate appearances.

To free up space for Carlson on the 40-man roster, Baltimore designated infielder Jacob Amaya for assignment. The Orioles had only just claimed Amaya off waivers on Jan. 16.

We have agreed to terms with OF Dylan Carlson on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.

Welcome to Birdland, Dylan! pic.twitter.com/PreoMVtbmp

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 27, 2025

Carlson was the Cardinals' first round pick back in 2016. He made his MLB debut in 2020 and was considered a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball entering 2021.

That season, Carlson hit .266 with 18 home runs, 31 doubles, 65 RBI, a .780 OPS and a 3.1 WAR across 149 games. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, making good on his potential right out of the gates.

However, Carlson dealt with hamstring, ankle and shoulder injuries over the next few seasons and failed to recreate that level of production. Since his breakout 2021 campaign, Carlson has hit .225 with a .649 OPS, averaging nine home runs, 24 doubles, 51 RBI and a 0.6 WAR per 162 games.

Carlson appeared in 37 games for the Rays down the stretch in 2024, posting a -0.3 WAR along the way.

Baltimore seems to think Carlson still has something left to give, adding him to an outfield depth chart that already included sure-fire starters in veteran All-Star Cedric Mullins, reigning AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Colton Cowser and free agent addition Tyler O'Neill. The Orioles also traded for Daz Cameron in October, not to mention top prospect Heston Kjerstad waiting in the wings.

Perhaps Carlson's arrival suggests that Baltimore wants Kjerstad to open 2025 in the minors, or that Cameron's time on the roster could be up. Either way, Carlson will at least get a chance to prove himself in Spring Training, if not the regular season as well.

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