A look ahead to the 2025 payroll

[Sports Guy]

This season is far from over but that doesn't mean we can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

This is going to be a very interesting offseason. The Os have a lot of spots likely secured for 2025 already and yet there is plenty of uncertainty as well.

Barring a trade, these guys are definitely on the team next year:

Adley, Gunnar, Holliday, Mayo*, Kjerstad, Westburg, Cowser, Urias, Eflin, GRod, Kremer, Felix, Perez, DC, Rogers and Cano.  That is 16 of your 26 man roster. The salaries for those 16 players will total around $46M, give or take.

With those 16 players, you have your entire starting IF (including C), 2 OFers, 3 or 4 starting pitchers, 4 or 5 relievers (depending on Rogers) and your key bench guy.

*Mayo potentially could start in the minors since he has looked  bad this year but its a SSS and I think they are committed to him and Im not sure going to the minors is going to be some major help for him.  But he will be on the active roster at some point next year.

The Os also have the ability to keep (meaning they are under team control...salary estimates following player) Cedric Mullins (8.5M), Mountcastle (5.5M), OHearn (8M option), G Soto (6M), Dominguez (8M option...has 500K buyout), Mateo (3.2M), Akin (2.5M) and Webb (2.2M).

For your 10 remaining roster spots, you need a back up C, 1 starting OFer, 5 pitchers and 3 other offensive players.

Some of the relievers I listed will be brought back but others likely traded. Those are cheap contracts but the O's need to add another legit high leverage arm and someone(s) will be left off because of that.

Either way, the team has plenty of money to add to this team given the low payroll of those definitely back.  Also, keep in mind Bradish will be on the payroll next year and I am assuming they will non tender Tyler Wells. Depending on his status, it is possible they bring him back but not sure I see the point.

Having so many cheap players on the roster, many of whom will be cheap for a while, gives you so much flexibility.

Also, it’s certainly possible that some of the players  I listed in the definite 16 will be traded, which will open up a spot or more.

Edit: Meant to talk about Povich and McDermott. They could enter in this equation as well. Could be trade bait, could be starters, could be relievers. Lots of moving parts.

Edit 2: Forgot to mention  Suarez, who also factors here. Would assume he’s back next year but not sure what role. You have to upgrade on this staff, so you can’t keep everyone. If we want to say he’s kept (fair assumption) than someone else had to go.

Edited 1 hour ago by Sports Guy

[HowAboutThat]

There’s going to be a lot of healthy discussion about how to spend our money. MLBTraderumors has already started. Here’s the O’Hearn paragraph from their article about picking up options( on Jimenez’ option, they said”haha no”)

[wiosfan]

39 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

This season is far from over but that doesn't mean we can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

This is going to be a very interesting offseason. The Os have a lot of spots likely secured for 2025 already and yet there is plenty of uncertainty as well.

Barring a trade, these guys are definitely on the team next year:

Adley, Gunnar, Holliday, Mayo*, Kjerstad, Westburg, Cowser, Urias, Eflin, GRod, Kremer, Felix, Perez, DC, Rogers and Cano.  That is 16 of your 26 man roster. The salaries for those 16 players will total around $46M, give or take.

With those 16 players, you have your entire starting IF (including C), 2 OFers, 3 or 4 starting pitchers, 4 or 5 relievers (depending on Rogers) and your key bench guy.

*Mayo potentially could start in the minors since he has looked  bad this year but its a SSS and I think they are committed to him and Im not sure going to the minors is going to be some major help for him.  But he will be on the active roster at some point next year.

The Os also have the ability to keep (meaning they are under team control...salary estimates following player) Cedric Mullins (8.5M), Mountcastle (5.5M), OHearn (8M option), G Soto (6M), Dominguez (8M option...has 500K buyout), Mateo (3.2M), Akin (2.5M) and Webb (2.2M).

For your 10 remaining roster spots, you need a back up C, 1 starting OFer, 5 pitchers and 3 other offensive players.

Some of the relievers I listed will be brought back but others likely traded. Those are cheap contracts but the O's need to add another legit high leverage arm and someone(s) will be left off because of that.

Either way, the team has plenty of money to add to this team given the low payroll of those definitely back.  Also, keep in mind Bradish will be on the payroll next year and I am assuming they will non tender Tyler Wells. Depending on his status, it is possible they bring him back but not sure I see the point.

Having so many cheap players on the roster, many of whom will be cheap for a while, gives you so much flexibility.

Also, it’s certainly possible that some of the players  I listed in the definite 16 will be traded, which will open up a spot or more.

Edit: Meant to talk about Povich and McDermott. They could enter in this equation as well. Could be trade bait, could be starters, could be relievers. Lots of moving parts.

You suggest the entire IF is secured with those 16 players, who do you have at first? Mayo?

[Orioles0615]

Its time to upgrade at firstbase

[Sports Guy]

11 minutes ago, wiosfan said:

You suggest the entire IF is secured with those 16 players, who do you have at first? Mayo?

Yes

[OriolesMagic83]

Did you leave off Suarez intentionally or just forget about him?

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Orioles0615 said:

Its time to upgrade at firstbase

You don’t do that without seeing Mayo and eventually Basallo first. It’s irrational to block guys that talented and that productive.

You could bring back Mounty as insurance but you do go out and go crazy for a first baseman.

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

Did you leave off Suarez intentionally or just forget about him?

Accident. 
 

I edited the OP.

Edited 1 hour ago by Sports Guy

[maybenxtyr]

57 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

You don’t do that without seeing Mayo and eventually Basallo first. It’s irrational to block guys that talented and that productive.

You could bring back Mounty as insurance but you do go out and go crazy for a first baseman.

I'd keep Mountcastle and decline O'Hearn in this scenario. There's a plenty of LH bats but the RH situation has been a problem. 

 

Mountcastle can get 500 or AB's at 1B and DH throughout the year.

 

Any movement of the needle in 2025 will come from guys like Holliday, Mayo and Kjerstad improving. Westburg and Henderson showed themselves pretty well this season. As a rookie Cowser has also shown that he's pretty close to an everyday player...it would be nice if he can take a step forward on cutting down his K's, even if the bat on ball goes as an out. 

 

Focus on pitching and a little steadier backup catcher, preferably one that can hit better than JM. It's not the end of the world if they brought him back though. They also need to come up with a useful RH outfielder somehow. 

[mrbig1]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

You don’t do that without seeing Mayo and eventually Basallo first. It’s irrational to block guys that talented and that productive.

You could bring back Mounty as insurance but you do go out and go crazy for a first baseman.

Thank you. Yes, we need Mounty at first.