Baltimore Orioles looking to increase payroll in coming years

There was a time when the Baltimore Orioles payroll was one of the highest in the majors. However, due to their ongoing rebuild, those days are in the rearview mirror.

That may be changing soon. As reported by Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun, team CEO John Angelos said that he “thinks [they] will be able to” move their payroll into the top half of the league at some point.

Baltimore Orioles payroll should increase in time

It is entirely possible that some of those increases occur this season. Ruiz further reported that general manager Mike Elias stated that the Orioles are still looking to add via free agency and in trades. Moves could even happen in spring training as they look to bolster all areas of their roster.

There had been some thought that payroll increase could happen this offseason. Elias had emphatically stated that the rebuild was over, with the expectation that the Orioles would contend in 2023. Those statements seemingly indicated that the team would spend in free agency, something that did not come to pass.

It is likely that some of the Orioles’ payroll increases will come from within. They are going to want to extend pieces of their core, especially as the likes of Cedric Mullins and John Means are getting closer to free agency. It would not be a surprise for the Orioles to want to begin talks with players such as Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman, and possibly Gunnar Henderson as well.

The Orioles are also going to need to spend in free agency as they hope to return to the postseason as well. That time should come in the near future as the Orioles learn what they have with their younger players and fill in the gaps to compete. Angelos may see his payroll get to the point he envisions soon enough.

Baltimore Orioles CEO John Angelos is looking to increase payroll going forward. Those moves should start to come in the near future.