Baltimore Orioles Surprisingly Mentioned Amongst Biggest Winners of MLB Offseason

The Baltimore Orioles were listed among the biggest winners in baseball this offseason.

Feb 15, 2020; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde (18) and Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias talk during the spring training workout at Ed Smith Stadium. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

There have been wide-ranging opinions on how the Baltimore Orioles handled their business this offseason.

The team lost significant talent with two All-Stars, right fielder Anthony Santander and starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, leaving in free agency. 

The slugger landed with the Toronto Blue Jays on a lucrative multi-year deal while their former ace headed out west, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Overcoming the loss of Santander, given their hitting depth, will be easier than replacing Burnes. Aces don’t grow on trees, and the Orioles have yet to truly fill that void despite adding a bunch of starting pitching depth to offset the loss.

That has led to Baltimore increasing their payroll as much as any team in baseball this winter.

As a result, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN listed them among the biggest winners in the league this offseason.

It is certainly encouraging for the long-term outlook of the franchise that the new ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, was willing to increase payroll that much in a single offseason.

It wasn’t all young players seeing slight raises either.

Tyler O'Neill, who was signed early in free agency as a Santander replacement, landed a three-year, $49.5 million contract. Catcher Gary Sanchez landed $8.5 million on a one-year pact to replace James McCann as Adley Rutschman’s backup.

Veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton received a one-year, $15 million deal. The team agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with international star Tomoyuki Sugano, as they are hoping those depth moves will help compensate for Burnes’s departure.

Short-term, one-year deals make some sense given how many young players the team has at the Major League level, with a few more already on the way. They don’t want to block those players from receiving opportunities without at least seeing what they can do with consistent at-bats.

The next order of business should be trying to work out contract extensions with some of their young core pieces. There can be some sustained success offensively if they start locking down foundational pieces long term.

If Mike Elias ever breaks his mold of how he handles free agency, some splashes could be made in the future with an ownership group that is willing to spend to put a winning product on the field.