Orioles ink former NL Rookie of the Year finalist to one year deal

On Monday afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles announced that they had signed outfielder Dylan Carlson to a one year deal. Carlson was once a blue chip prospect in the Cardinals organization but has yet to find much success at the major league level, outside of his rookie season. Carlson was a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2021 but never reached the same heights as he struggled through the next three seasons.

Carlson has been dealing with injuries over the last two seasons, which have caused him to start fewer than 100 games in both of those years. He suffered a shoulder injury during spring training in 2024 following a collision with Jordan Walker. As a result of the incident, Carlson started the year on the IL and wound up missing more than a month. It was an unfortunate outcome as the righty had been set to be the starting center fielder for the Redbirds. Carlson wouldn't play in a game until late May.

Carlson was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays before the trade deadline after having an unimpressive season with the Cardinals. He slashed .198/.275/.240 with the Cardinals before being moved to Tampa. With the Rays, Carlson saw a slight improvement in his numbers in a similar sample size. The outfielder slashed .219/.299/.316 in his half season with Tampa, and he was subsequently non tendered by the Rays this past November, allowing him to test free agency.

Orioles sign former Cardinals top prospect and Rookie of the Year finalist Dylan Carlson

The Orioles signed him to a reported $975,000 salary with a $25,000 incentive for reaching 200 at-bats this season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reported. Carlson should bring some more depth to the Orioles lineup, and the once highly touted prospect could revive his career in Baltimore. Carlson is also reuniting with another former Cardinal teammate in the outfield, Tyler O'Neill.

Carlson being a switch hitter certainly brings value to the Orioles. If he's to get his career back on track and earn a starting spot, he'll have the matchup advantage, giving him a higher chance to stay in the game. The matchup advantage allows him to be a strong option off the bench if the former top prospect can find his swing again.

In a corresponding move, the Orioles DFA'd infielder Jacob Amaya to make room on the 40-man. Amaya had been claimed off waivers earlier this month after the White Sox had let him go. He'll head to the waiver wire for the third time in a very short span, and it seems likely that another team will take a chance on him with a waiver claim.