Orioles arbitration tracker: Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins reportedly agree to deals ahead of Thursday’s deadline

In what has so far been a quiet offseason for the defending American League East champion Orioles, Thursday provided the first significant benchmark in determining the club’s 2024 payroll.

The Orioles entered Thursday with 13 players eligible for arbitration, which provides pay raises to established big leaguers who have yet to spend enough time in the majors to become free agents. Players who have at least three but fewer than six years of MLB service are eligible for arbitration.

After a historic 101-win campaign, Baltimore entered the offseason with an MLB-leading 17 arbitration-eligible players, something executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias described as “an earmark of having a good roster these days” during his end-of-season news conference in October. The Orioles signed four players — shortstop Jorge Mateo, left-handed reliever Keegan Akin and outfielders Sam Hilliard and Ryan McKenna — before the Nov. 17 deadline and tendered contracts to the remaining 13, including sluggers Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle, starting pitcher John Means and outfielders Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays.

Teams and tendered players had until Thursday to negotiate 2024 salaries after the league and Major League Baseball Players Association reportedly agreed to move up the deadline by one day. If an agreement is not made, the sides will put forward their preferred 2024 salary for the player. If a deal still can’t be reached, a panel of arbitrators will pick one of the two numbers — and no other possible value — after a hearing in late January or February.

Comparing the 2023 salaries for the 17 arbitration-eligible players with their projected 2024 earnings, the total expected payroll increase for that group next season is roughly $25 million. Potential trades or free agent deals could also impact the club’s spending.

With so many players due for raises, the Orioles’ 2024 payroll is projected to rise to $81 million, according to FanGraphs, though that still would rank 28th of 30 MLB teams.

Here’s a look at the deals the Orioles reached before Thursday’s deadline, plus the salary projections, via MLB Trade Rumors, for the tendered players who have not yet signed:

Agreed to deals

Anthony Santander: The star right fielder agreed to a one-year, $11.7 million deal to avoid arbitration, according to FanSided. After leading the Orioles with 33 home runs in 2022 and tying for the team lead with 28 in 2023, the 29-year-old slugger will return for his eighth season in Baltimore after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Santander was projected to make $12.8 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors, after receiving a $7.4 million deal last season.

Dillon Tate: The right-handed reliever agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal, a source with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Tate, a 2015 first-round draft pick acquired from the New York Yankees in the 2018 Zack Britton trade, missed all of last season because of a right forearm injury. The 29-year-old recorded a 3.05 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings in 2022.

John Means: The left-handed starting pitcher and 2019 All-Star agreed to a one-year, $3.325 million contract, according to MLB Network. Means, 30, has pitched just 31 2/3 innings over the past two seasons but looked sharp in his return from Tommy John elbow reconstruction at the end of last year, posting a 2.66 ERA in four starts. However, he did not pitch in the postseason after experiencing elbow soreness before the American League Division Series.

Cedric Mullins: The center fielder and 2021 All-Star and Silver Slugger agreed to a one-year, $6.325 million deal, according to Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Mullins, 29, hit .233 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs last year and continued to stand out defensively, though he missed 46 games with a groin strain.

Ryan Mountcastle: The 26-year-old first baseman agreed to a one-year, $4.137 million deal in his first year of arbitration eligibility, according to MLB Network. Mountcastle, a 2015 first-round pick, hit .270 with 18 home runs and 68 RBIs in 115 games last season. He missed a month after experiencing vertigo but returned in early July and said he felt “like a normal human again.”

Cole Irvin: The left-handed starting pitcher agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal, according to The Baltimore Banner. Irvin, who was acquired from the Oakland Athletics before the 2023 season for infield prospect Darell Hernaiz, bounced between the rotation to the bullpen and spent time in Triple-A during an up-and-down first season in Baltimore. He recorded a 4.42 ERA in 77 1/3 innings.

Tendered contracts

Austin Hays: Projected $5.8 million

Ryan O’Hearn: Projected $3.3 million

Danny Coulombe: The left-handed reliever, who is projected to receive $2.5 million in 2024, did not agree to terms before Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Coulombe, 34, who posted a 2.81 ERA and became a valuable and trusted piece of the bullpen after being acquired by Baltimore just days before the start of the 2023 season, has until 8 p.m. to exchange salary figures with the Orioles. The sides can continue negotiating ahead of a potential arbitration hearing.

Tyler Wells: Projected $2.2 million

Ramón Urías: Projected $2.1 million

Cionel Pérez: Projected $1.2 million

Jacob Webb: The right-handed reliever did not agree to terms before Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline, according to MLB.com. Webb, 30, recorded a 3.27 ERA in 22 innings with the Orioles after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels in August, but he gave up a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS. He is projected to receive $1.2 million in 2024.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jacob Calvin Meyer contributed to this article. This story will be updated.