Baltimore Orioles: The Financial Patience of Peter Angelos

The Baltimore Orioles off season this year looks a whole lot different than the ones of the past. Peter Angelos is “finally” spending some money and a lot of it. According to Baseball Prospectus, the Orioles payroll was around the $119 M range last year to start the season and this year is looking to be over the $150M mark. This is three times the salary growth from the previous three years, year over year, around $108 M in 2014, $92 M in 2013, and $84 M in 2012.

Every year I listen to fans grumble about how cheap Peter Angelos is and why he won’t open up his wallet. This year is a different story. The Orioles have over $200 M in new contract obligations, primarily with the resigning of Chris Davis for $161 M, and this number may still be growing as Baltimore looks for another starting pitcher.

So where did this sudden influx of money come from? Every year Forbes.com puts out a list of the most valuable teams in baseball. Last year the Orioles were worth over $1 Billion dollars, which is a %61 increase from 2014 in which their value was only $620 M.

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There are a variety of ways professional sports teams make money but the primary means is through fan attendance. In 2014 the Orioles won 96 games and the division. The seats were filled and fans were spending money into the post season. So much so that we helped the value of the Orioles increase nearly $400 M. Yet the 2015 off season was very uneventful and none of that money ended up getting spent. When you look the timing of our free agents and the relationship between Angelos and Chris Davis, it makes sense why Angelos was so patient with his wallet. 2014 is the reason why we have the team to win the Division this year.

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Looking at the roster, there really aren’t that many differences between this years and the last couple, yet payroll is way up. Last year it’s clear the Orioles under-performed, especially the pitching staff, but even so, Angelos has so much confidence in his team that he’s willing to spend over $30 M more this year for the same guys that brought home only 81 wins last year. This is the mark of a special owner. Confident ownership appears to be lacking in a large number of teams around the league. These days players and coaches alike seem to be more expendable then ever. Angelos is sticking to his guns and allowing his team to perform like he knows they can.

I strongly believe the Orioles will have a strong year, in fact, I picked them to win the Division title this year. We have the backing of Angelos, and his wallet, and some of the best management in baseball. Now it’s in the hands of the players to stay healthy and perform at the level that thee fans and Peter Angelos are confident they can play at. If we win the division this year, it’s important to realize what Angelos has done to make this happen. That doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. As fans we need to make sure that we’re getting to the games and filling the seats. If we want the team to continue to grow in value than we need to make sure we’re contributing. Without fan dollars the team can’t grow.

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It’s clear the Orioles have a very special team, a very special managing staff and especially loyal ownership. With everything in place, I’m thinking 2016 will be the year we finally repeat the success of 1983 and continue to grow the Oriole Pride.