Baltimore Orioles: Projected Arbitration Figures And Decisions

Will the Baltimore Orioles bring back all seven of their arbitration-eligible players?

Tender or not to tender? General manager Mike Elias has already come out and said he will spend the offseason finding ways to shed salary and add cost-effective free agents instead of making big splashes in the free agent market. He must also decide whether or not to tender a contract to seven arbitration-eligible players.

Thanks to MLB Trade Rumor’s annual Projected Arbitration Salaries piece, we have some initial estimates to consider when taking a look at these seven players. Odds are the Orioles bring back all seven, but should they?

Let’s take a look at these seven players, their 2019 salaries, projected raises this offseason, and whether or not they should return in 2020.

There’s no doubt Trey Mancini returns to the Baltimore Orioles next season.

2019 salary- $576,000      MLBTR projected salary- $5.7 million

At the beginning of the season, many fans believed trading Trey Mancini was a great idea to help in adding more talent to the minor league system. By the end of the year, the trade talks had largely ceased and most reports out of Birdland agreed that the odds of Mike Elias moving the former eighth-round pick are slim.

Setting career-highs in home runs (35), doubles (38), RBI (97), and OPS (.899), Mancini stepped up at the plate and as a leader in the clubhouse in his third season as a major leaguer. Want more impressive numbers? How about a 3.6 fWAR (which includes brutal defensive play in the outfield), a 132 wRC+, and the highest walk rate and lowest strikeout rates of his career.

This year’s Most Valuable Oriole, Mancini is still a trade chip, but isn’t likely to bring back a return worth moving him. Despite wanting to shed salary, a salary of around $6 million is a solid price for someone poised to become the face of the franchise in 2020.