After a Baltimore Orioles Opening Day led by pitcher Trevor Rogers, the team would go out of its way to secure another young star to a long-term deal. As the Orioles are signing Shane Baz to a contract extension worth $68 million, lasting five years, the general manager would come out and release a statement.
Baltimore general manager Mike Elias would come out and say how “ecstatic” he feels to sign Baz to the extension.
“We were ecstatic to acquire a pitcher of Shane’s talent during the offseason and are thrilled we could come to a long-term agreement to keep him in Baltimore. Our ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, continues to provide our organization with support and resources as we pursue consistent success on the field,” Elias wrote, via Jacob Calvin Meyer.
This could be a risky deal to some, especially with Baz's string of injuries he suffered when with the Tampa Bay Rays, but after being traded to the Orioles late last year, Baltimore must have loved what they saw from him during spring training. There's no denying the upside, as ESPN's Jeff Passan mentioned when reporting on the deal.
“BREAKING: Right-hander Shane Baz and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $68 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN,” Passan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Certainly there's risk with any pitcher, particularly one with an injury history, but Shane Baz's upside is tremendous, and the Orioles will buy out three years of arbitration and get two free agent years for a 26-year-old, live-armed starter,” Passan continued.
Baz is coming off his first fully healthy season in Tampa Bay, where he recorded a 4.87 ERA to go along with 176 strikeouts and a 10-12 record. He will make his first Orioles start on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.
