Thursday was one of the busiest days of MLB’s offseason as teams and arbitration-eligible players had until 1 p.m. to agree to contracts for the 2025 season to avoid a potential hearing.
As one of MLB’s youngest teams, the Orioles had 11 such players who were due pay raises in 2025, including some in line for large bumps as they entered their first arbitration year.
Starting pitcher Dean Kremer was one of those players, and the right-hander and the Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.95 million salary for the 2025 campaign, a source with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Kremer, 29, earned only $756,600 as a pre-arbitration player in 2024.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was center fielder Cedric Mullins, who was entering his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency next winter. The speedster and the Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $8.725 million contract for the 2025 campaign, a source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed. That resulted in a nearly $2.5 million pay bump for Mullins after he earned $6.3 million last year.
Ryan Mountcastle also avoided arbitration by agreeing to make $6.787 million with awards incentives in 2025, a source with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed, for a $2.6 million raise over his previous salary.
As of Thursday evening, the Orioles agreed to terms with all but one of their arbitration-eligible players, including Adley Rutschman ($5.5 million), Trevor Rogers ($2.6 million), Kyle Bradish ($2.35 million), Gregory Soto ($5.35 million), Ramón Urías ($3.15 million) and Keegan Akin ($1.475 million), according to a source with direct knowledge of the deals, along with Kremer, Mullins and Mountcastle. Tyler Wells also reportedly settled on a figure of $2.075 million. The Baltimore Banner was first to report his deal.
Utilityman Jorge Mateo did not come to an agreement and exchanged figures with the club, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Last year, the Orioles had 18 arbitration-eligible players, the most of any MLB team. Arbitration is a pay raise system for players who have established themselves as big leaguers but have yet to spend enough time in the major leagues to become free agents. Eligible players have at least three years of MLB service time but fewer than the six necessary to hit free agency.
Those 18 players’ combined salaries totaled approximately $68 million to make up more than two-thirds of the team’s total payroll, which ranked 26th of 30 MLB teams for the Orioles’ sixth straight year in the bottom five. This year, the Orioles began the preseason with 13 such players, among the most in MLB. They nontendered reliever Jacob Webb, a righty who was one of manager Brandon Hyde’s most-trusted bullpen arms, and agreed to a $1 million contract with corner infielder Emmanuel Rivera in November.
The total amount given to the 11 arbitration-eligible players Baltimore has come to terms with is $41.9 million, not including what Mateo could receive. That’s about $1.2 million less than what MLB Trade Rumors projected for those 11 players. It also marked a nearly $17.1 million raise for those players combined but is much less than 2024’s total because Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander hit free agency this winter and Austin Hays was traded at last year’s deadline.
Most of the Orioles’ highest-paid players last season were arbitration-eligible, including Burnes, Santander, Hays and Mullins. That will be different in 2025, as the top of Baltimore’s payroll are players the club acquired in the past year: Zach Eflin ($18 million), Tyler O’Neill ($16.5 million), Charlie Morton ($15 million) and Tomoyuki Sugano ($13 million).
Most Orioles will end Thursday with agreements for 2025, but some, like Mateo, could move on in the arbitration process, which can be contentious for teams and players if they go to a hearing. Any players who didn’t come to terms by Thursday’s deadline will have to exchange proposed salary figures with the club for their 2025 salary. If the team and player remain at an impasse, a panel of arbitrators will pick one of the two suggested salary figures — and no other possible value — during a hearing in late January or February.
Here’s a look at the deals the Orioles have reached with their arbitration-eligible players:
Agreed to deals
Cedric Mullins: The outfielder’s $8.725 million salary is the highest of the Orioles’ 12 arbitration-eligible players and ranks fifth on the team. The 30-year-old hasn’t been able to recapture the magic he discovered in 2021 when he became the first player in Orioles history to steal 30 bases and hit 30 homers. But he overcame a spring slump — one of the worst of his seven-year career — for another solid campaign, posting a .710 OPS with plus defense in center field. Mullins received slightly more than his $8.7 million projection from MLB Trade Rumors. FanSided first reported Mullins’ deal.
Ryan Mountcastle: The first baseman also hasn’t been able to rediscover his 2021 form after he blasted a career-high 33 homers that year, but the 2015 first-round pick has been a constant presence in the heart of Baltimore’s lineup for years. Mountcastle totaled 30 doubles and 13 homers last year with a .733 OPS, though he missed time with an injury for the second straight season. He’s developed into one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball, earning a Gold Glove finalist spot in each of the past two seasons. He received about $170,000 more than his projection. FanSided was first to report Mountcastle’s salary.
Adley Rutschman: While he struggled in the second half last season, Rutschman is still one of the best catchers in baseball, a fact that’s reflected by his 2025 salary. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick will reportedly receive $5.5 million in his first year of arbitration, putting him on pace to earn much more in his final two years in the system. Rutschman, a two-time All-Star, hit a career-worst .250 with a .709 OPS last season. His 2025 contract was first reported by MLB.com.
Dean Kremer: The 29-year-old right-hander has been a staple in the Orioles’ rotation since 2022, posting a 3.85 ERA in 427 2/3 innings. He narrowly missed out on being eligible for arbitration last season and his $2.95 million salary in 2025 is about $500,000 less than the projection. With the additions of Morton and Sugano this offseason, Kremer could be the Orioles’ No. 5 starter in 2025. The Baltimore Banner was first to report Kremer’s deal.
Trevor Rogers: The left-hander was acquired by Baltimore at last season’s deadline from the Miami Marlins, but he struggled mightily to begin his Orioles career. He allowed 16 runs in his first 19 innings and was demoted to Triple-A for the remainder of the season. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Rogers “ran out of gas” at the end of the season, and the southpaw will look to return to his All-Star form from 2021. Rogers’ salary for 2025 is reportedly $2.6 million — about $200,000 less than projected. MLB.com was first to report the figure.
Kyle Bradish: The Orioles and Bradish reportedly settled on $2.35 million to avoid arbitration. The right-hander will miss most of the 2025 season recovering from the Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery he underwent in June. Bradish finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting in 2023 and was even better during his eight starts last year before the injury.
Gregory Soto: A last-second acquisition at the 2024 trade deadline, Soto was streaky down the stretch for Baltimore and posted a 5.09 ERA in 23 appearances. The left-hander is a two-time All-Star with impressive peripherals, but the Orioles will be paying for his upside after the two sides agreed on a $5.35 million salary for next season. He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. The Baltimore Banner was first to report his salary.
Ramón Urías: The Orioles opened last season with Urías as their starting third baseman and finished the year with him as their starting third baseman. A 2022 Gold Glove Award winner, Urías eclipsed 100 games and 300 plate appearances for the third straight season despite Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday factoring into the infield equation. Though he once again will have to fend off the Orioles’ young core for playing time, his defensive versatility and league-average offensive production make him a key part of their infield depth chart. MLB Trade Rumors projected him to make $3.1 million in his second year of arbitration.
Emmanuel Rivera: The former Arizona Diamondback joined the Orioles as a waiver claim in August and helped keep the offense afloat as it struggled with injuries. The four-year veteran has a career .676 OPS, but he hit .313 with a .948 OPS in 27 games with the Orioles. He avoided arbitration in November by agreeing to a $1 million salary that was $400,000 less than his projection.
Keegan Akin: Coming off a trying 2023 campaign in which he posted a 6.85 ERA, Akin rebounded with a 3.32 ERA in 66 games for the Orioles last season. He’ll remain one of the top left-handers at Hyde’s disposal in the late innings heading into next year.
Tyler Wells: Similar to Bradish, Wells is expected to begin the 2025 season on the injured list as he continues to recover from last year’s Tommy John elbow surgery. He made just three starts last year before landing on the injured list but carries a career 4.06 ERA in 95 games (46 starts), all with the Orioles. Arbitration eligible for the first time this winter, he was projected to make $2.1 million by MLB Trade Rumors.
Tendered contracts
The following players were tendered contracts in November but didn’t agree to a 2025 salary ahead of the deadline:
Jorge Mateo: Mateo, one of MLB’s fastest players, missed the final half of the season because of a dislocated elbow that required surgery. He is expected to be ready for opening day if he makes the roster. With his versatility, Mateo could play a super utility role off the bench with his ability to play middle infield and the outfield. He’s projected to earn $3.2 million. If his salary is determined through an arbitration hearing, the money would not be guaranteed until opening day, per MLB’s collective bargaining agreement with the players union.
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer. Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich.