The Baltimore Orioles look like an MLB dynasty in the making. Although their 101-win season ended abruptly as they got demolished by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, they have a young core that has the potential to be special.
The Orioles are stacked with young talents like All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and AL Rookie of the Year candidate Gunnar Henderson. But even as the young stars and veterans like Cedric Mullins, Ryan O'Hearn and Anthony Santander lifted Baltimore to the AL East title, fans remain worried about the team's ability to compete in the future. Orioles owner John Angelos is already worried about the increasing price of his team's salary.
Orioles general manager Mike Elias sounded off on the possibility of extending his young stars' contracts, according to Noah Trister of the Associated Press.
“We are very focused on keeping this organization as successful and healthy as possible, within the constraints of reality,” Elias said, via AP. “Obviously, we have players here that we love…and part of the calculus of keeping this franchise healthy is pursuing or examining opportunities to possibly keep some of these guys longer.”
It's not exactly an ironclad commitment to extend the young guys but it's a sign that the Orioles GM knows the obvious: these kids can play. Elias already extended the contract of superstar closer Felix Bautista through 2025 as he works his way through Tommy John surgery recovery. Rutschman and Henderson seem like prime candidates to be approached for long-term
The Orioles not only have great, young talent at the MLB level but have a number of great prospects, namely Jackson Holliday, MLB Pipleline's top prospect. Other top names like Heston Kjerstad, Joey Ortiz and Colton Cowser got their feet wet at the MLB level while the likes of Coby Mayo, among many others, continue to put in work in the minor leagues.
In addition to the young guys, the Orioles have some older players and holes in their roster to attend to. In a division with two other 2023 playoff teams and a pair of decent teams that didn’t make it, Baltimore cannot afford to coast.
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