Baltimore Orioles: Players with arbitration in the 2017-2018 off-season

The Baltimore Orioles have several players who are in some level of arbitration. These young players represent the future of the team, especially since the Orioles have very few prospects in the minor leagues.

As these young Baltimore Orioles players move through the stages of arbitration, the team and the players negotiate salaries until the player becomes a free agent.

Arbitration can be confusing for the everyday fan to understand. It applies to players who have less than six years of experience, but more than three. And, they become eligible for actual arbitration if they do not have a contract for the upcoming season.

How arbitration works

BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 12: Zach Britton /

This is a summary from the MLB glossary: When players and teams negotiate in an arbitration year, salaries can go up and down, depending on the performance of the player. The salaries need to be agreed upon by a pre-established date in mid-January to avoid hearings in February. Arbitrators will hear the arguments from both the team and the player (usually the player’s agent) and the arbitrator makes a decision for both parties. Interestingly, the arbitrator picks one side, not a number in the middle. Most arbitration cases never get to the hearing stage, as most players and teams can agree to a one-year or multi-year contract.

Remember, though, that any of these young players can be traded. It is much easier to do it when they are still in the lower salary numbers that happen prior to or during arbitration years.

Who is eligible for arbitration?

Three players are in their final year of arbitration. Zach Britton, Manny Machado, and Brad Brach. Britton and Machado had similar contracts in 2017. Machado made $11.5 million and Britton made $11.4 million. Brach’s salary was significantly lower at $3.05 million. Little has been said in the media about Brach’s final year of team control, but after his successful season in 2017 he is currently an affordable asset. The biggest issue lies with Machado and Britton.

All three men do not have contracts for the 2018 season. Machado is expecting to be paid like other players of his caliber. And, if Britton can get and stay healthy, he should also expect a big free agent contract in 2019. If the Orioles can keep all three of these men under a reasonable contract in 2018, they could end up trading them at the deadline for a serious haul of prospects for the future. It is safe to say that all three will have salaries that are comparable to their 2017 numbers.

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Jonathan Schoop has two years left of arbitration before he enters his free agency season in 2020. Schoop currently has a one-year contract worth $3.475 million. After his first All-Star season, fans can expect to see Schoop and the Orioles discuss a big pay raise. Schoop was the most consistent player in 2017. He scored the most runs and had the best overall batting stats. He was also a formidable defensive player. By the time the discussion is over, his 2018 salary should be much closer to that of Machado and Britton.

Kevin Gausman and Caleb Joseph are both entering their second year of arbitration. Gausman made $3.45 million in 2017. It is safe to predict that Gausman will not see a raise for 2018. If Gausman pitched better, he could have been in line for a raise. Unfortunately, he didn’t, so he doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on if he does ask for more money. Joseph made $700,000 as the second part of the catching platoon with Welington Castillo, who performed better than Joseph. But because of his success in the platoon with Castillo, Joseph could see a raise that gets him over the $1 million mark.

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Once the World Series is complete, the process of arbitration begins. This could be an exciting off-season to watch, considering the caliber of players who are in this process.

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