Will Baltimore Orioles' Polarizing Offseason Strategy Pay Off?

The Baltimore Orioles are spending more money on their payroll, but are they spending it wisely?

Jul 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias reacts on the field before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

With the MLB offseason winding down and spring training about to begin, the Baltimore Orioles don't seem likely to make any more major moves before Opening Day.

For many Orioles fans, this winter has been an underwhelming one. The team lost stars like Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander and didn't appear to add much, missing out on most of the big-name free agents and settling for veterans on short-term deals instead.

General manager Mike Elias took a frustratingly conservative approach this offseason, but he still managed to spend a good amount of money this winter.

In fact, no MLB team increased its payroll more since last year (in percentage terms) than Baltimore, which quietly raised its payroll by 56%.

New owner David Rubenstein promised to spend when he took over the team last year, and that's exactly what he's done.

Per The Athletic, the Orioles have increased their payroll from $109 million in 2024 to over $150 million in 2025.

Unfortunately, Baltimore doesn't have much to show for it. Elias failed to land a major star this winter and opted to prioritize depth instead, bringing in complementary pieces like Tyler O'Neill, Gary Sanchez, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano. He spread the money around, preferring quantity over quality.

Some of the additions in payroll were natural due to increases in payroll for arbitration-eligible players.

The majority of the increase went to the free agents. Per Spotrac, O’Neill will be paid $16.5 million, Morton will be paid $15 million, Sugano will be paid $13 million, reliever Andrew Kittredge will be paid $9 million and Sanchez will be paid $8.5 million.

All of them are on either one-year deals or multi-year deals that feature player options after the first year. So, the surge in payroll could come down next season.

Accordingly, the Orioles' roster doesn't feel meaningfully improved from last year. The floor may be higher, but Baltimore is counting on homegrown stars like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman to lead the way. These short-term deals also give the O's flexibility to pay Henderson and Rutschman later.

However, that may not be enough. The Orioles failed to adequately replace Burnes at the top of the rotation and enter 2025 without a true ace, which could be an issue.

On the one hand, it's encouraging that ownership is willing to invest in the team. On the other hand, it's fair to wonder if Elias spent that money wisely.