The Baltimore Orioles have not been among the heavy spenders in free agency over the years, but according to general manager Mike Elias, this is set to change soon.

Elias recently took some time to speak on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, where he noted that he plans to be much more aggressive in the free agency period coming later in the year.

“Our plan for this offseason has always been to significantly escalate the payroll,” Elias said. “I think a lot of that’s going to come through our own guys going into arbitration, but also we plan to explore free agency much more aggressively. We plan to maybe make some buy trades for some guys that are either on contracts or kind of in the tail-end of their arbitration.

“The success … has only cemented those plans. I’m really looking forward to the offseason and kind of a winter meetings environment where we’re buying. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for our group and for the organization.”

The Orioles were quite conservative in free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign, as the biggest deal that they handed out was a one-year, $7 million contract to starting pitcher Jordan Lyles. According to Spotrac, their total payroll for the season sits at $43.4 million, which ranks at last in the majors. They also have under $20 million tied to contracts for next season.

As Elias touched on, the Orioles’ underdog run to being in contention in the American League wild-card race has upped the enthusiasm of the organization and the fan base. Even as Baltimore opted to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, the AL East club trails the Tampa Bay Rays by just 1.5 games for the third wild-card spot in the AL. The Orioles' success in the campaign has come due to the stout production from some of their prized prospects, coupled with the formidable durability of their bullpen.

From All-Star shortstop Trea Turner to possibly starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, Elias sure will at the least have multiple options to bring in a high-priced free agent. But for now, Baltimore is aiming to leapfrog the Rays and snap its lengthy playoff drought.