Baltimore Orioles proving why salary floor is needed in MLB
The Baltimore Orioles rebuilding process is continuing with no end in sight. While they have some potential building blocks at the major league level, and an intriguing crop of prospects on the cusp of contributing, the Orioles roster will need an infusion of talent to be able to contend. However, they seem far more content to lose over 100 games a year and hope that those young players can form the core of their roster.
That may not be changing any time soon. As it currently stands, the Orioles do not have any money guaranteed for their 2022 roster.
This is important context: The first time that a Baltimore season ticket holder renews for next season, that person will have committed more dollars to the 2022 Orioles than the club will have in payroll obligations. https://t.co/CvSX9kis1i
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 24, 2021
Baltimore Orioles showing why salary floor is needed
The Orioles do have four players eligible for arbitration. Two of those, Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander, are obvious candidates to return. However, their projected salaries are not listed as commitments since they remain unknown. The same holds true for their pre-arbitration players.
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What is clear is that the Orioles are in great shape salary wise for the foreseeable future. It is also clear that the Orioles will not be investing that money into free agents, aside from one year scrap heap deals that they will hope to catch lightning in a bottle with.
It is a strategy that worked for the Astros during current Orioles’ GM Mike Elias’ time with the franchise. It is understandable that he would attempt to replicate that strategy in Baltimore, banking on the hope of a better future.
But there comes a time when that hope has to manifest. Those top prospects not only have to reach the majors, but they have to prove that they are the players the franchise hoped for. Even then, the roster needs to be supplemented with those pieces to make the team a contender.
That is not what the Orioles are interested in doing at this juncture. They are a franchise that goes into every season with no hope and no interest in winning. Maybe that would be different if teams had a specific floor that they had to reach, one where they were forced to add players to the roster that could help the team contend. Or, at the worst, not be a complete dumpster fire.
But here we are. The Orioles have literally invested nothing into their 2022 roster at this point. Their payroll for next year may be even lower than it was this season. Unless a salary floor is implemented, that is not likely to change soon.
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The Baltimore Orioles do not have any guaranteed money for 2022. Their lack of interest in spending on the roster shows why a salary floor is needed.