I got to be a part of Orioles general manager Mike Elias’ dugout scrum with the media on July 31, the day after the trade deadline.
Before I get into my main takeaway, let me recap the pertinent news on just what the Orioles did at this trade deadline. Elias had an awful lot to talk about, seeing that he had a very, very busy few days that culminated in seven deals.
The breakdown is pretty simple. Elias brought in starting pitchers Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, both of whom should fill out the rotation with professional starts and give their team a real chance to win. These two starters came with a modest but important level of team control, giving the Orioles in-house options for the starting rotation in 2025 with ace Corbin Burnes scheduled for free agency.
Eflin and Rogers were acquired to replace the likes of Chayce McDermott, Cole Irvin, Cade Povich and Albert Suárez in the rotation. Suárez did a respectable job in the first half of the season with a terrific run of five-inning starts, but he had stalled out in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. However, he re-entered the rotation after Grayson Rodriguez suffered a shoulder injury in early August.
Additionally, Elias brought in high-octane relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto to help buttress the back end of the ‘24 bullpen. The Orioles also have the option to bring each back in 2025, when Félix Bautista figures to return.
Elias also brought in a couple right-handed bats in one-time top prospect Eloy Jiménez and veteran Austin Slater. Jiménez might not touch a glove during his stay in Birdland. Slater is a useful pinch hitter and pinch runner who also can patrol the vast expanse of left field at Camden Yards.
Elias, who has been unable to develop his own pitchers, traded two interesting arms in right-handers Jackson Baumeister and Seth Johnson. Baumeister was dealt to Tampa Bay in the Eflin deal, while Johnson headed to Philadelphia in the Soto deal.
Elias also pulled off a rare prospect-for-prospect trade, acquiring right-hander Patrick Reilly from Pittsburgh for outfielder Billy Cook. Elias shrewdly jumped on an opportunity to replace Baumeister, but it’s possible that Elias picked up a better prospect.
Baumeister, 22, tossed 70.2 innings of 3.06 ERA ball at High-A Aberdeen this year, posting a 1.36 WHIP and striking out 91 batters. Reilly, 22 threw 88 innings of 3.38 ERA ball at High-A Greensboro, recording a 1.16 WHIP and striking out 108. He joined Double-A Bowie following the trade.
Now on to the good-news portion of this story for Orioles fans. To me, the big takeaway from what occurred around the deadline is now clear. Elias’ years of having to pinch pennies and missing out on who knows how many acquisitions are over.
While stressing that Baltimore is not New York or Los Angeles, Elias made it clear that David Rubenstein’s ownership group was deeply involved with all the talks around the acquisitions of the aforementioned players. Ownership had to agree to take on an increase in payroll as well.
The Orioles’ 2024 payroll now stands at about $101 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. The additions of Domínguez, Eflin, Jiménez, Rogers and Soto added roughly $8 million to the 2024 payroll, with the White Sox picking up most of what is owed to Jiménez. Additionally, the Orioles agreed to take on the $18 million owed to Eflin in 2025, the largest single-season salary the club will have ever paid a pitcher.
Elias made it as clear as possible that this ownership group plans on “maximizing the potential of this franchise,” but he shied away from dipping too deep into extensions for specific players. We can infer that this ownership group paid the Angelos family $1.7 billion not only for the team and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network but with an eye on raising the payroll significantly as this group of extraordinary young players reaches arbitration eligibility and beyond.
It’s hard to imagine this market will support a real pursuit of Burnes, whose demands will be made by agent Scott Boras. The right-hander will be looking for a six- or seven-year deal worth between $35 million and $40 million a year. He likely won’t sign early, either. If the Orioles do say goodbye to Burnes, they could still be serious players on pitchers in the range of $18 million to $23 million per year.
The Orioles could also aggressively pursue pending free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander, who may command as much as $20 million annually on a four- or five-year deal.
What does it mean? After the tumultuous years under the late Peter Angelos, the club may finally have an ownership group with the temperament to win on the field, therefore making its investment in the Orioles even more valuable both to the group and the team’s fans.
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