Anthony Santander's exit leaves the Orioles with an interesting consolation prize

As Jon Morosi reported on Monday afternoon, former Orioles' star outfielder Anthony Santander is officially headed to Toronto to join the Blue Jays. Santander signed a 5-year deal that could be worth over $100 million when all is said and done. It's a well-deserved outcome for Santander, who had a career year in 2024 and had come to be one of the more reliable bats in the Orioles lineup.

With Santander officially out, that leaves the Orioles without two of their top players from 2024 as they prepare for the 2025 season. Corbin Burnes left Baltimore for Arizona earlier this winter and his absence, along with the absence of Santander, will surely be noticed, almost regardless of how well the O's play in the early going this year.

But even with the departures of these two star players becoming official, that doesn't mean that the Orioles were left totally high and dry. GM Mike Elias extended both players a qualifying offer earlier this winter, both of which were declined. When a player declines a qualifying offer and subsequently signs elsewhere in free agency, their previous team is gifted draft pick compensation based on the dollar value of the player's new deal.

Orioles set to receive 2 early compensation picks for Anthony Santander and Corbin Burnes

In this case, because the Orioles are a revenue sharing recipient, and because both Santander and Burnes signed deals worth more than $50 million, they're due to receive two picks between the 1st round and the first Compensation Round. That means that the O's will have their normal 1st round pick in the 2025 draft, which will fall at 19th overall, and they'll also have the 30th and 32nd overall picks on top of that. That's a massive win for Elias' front office, which has been so successful bringing in talent via the draft.

In total, the comp pick from Santander's signing gives the Orioles 6 picks in the top 100. In addition to their normal selections and the comp picks, they will also have a selection in Competitive Balance Round B, which falls at 71st overall.

So on one hand, it's quite painful for O's fans to watch two of the best and most popular players from the 2024 squad depart in free agency. That's especially true in the case of Santander, who has been a fan favorite for several years now. But despite the emotional loss, the Orioles' draft pick situation in 2025 is extremely favorable. They'll have a great opportunity to add talent to the system and keep the development machine churning.

It's unfortunate that none of the players acquired in the upcoming draft will be able to contribute in 2025. And losing Santander and Burnes could have a significant impact on the O's chances to compete for a championship this year. But it's not all doom and gloom. The Orioles still have a very good roster heading into spring training, and they have enough prospect talent to make necessary additions at the trade deadline. And being able to back-fill that organizational depth with high draft picks could be the difference in making a substantial mid-season addition.