Orioles just found out how much their offseason trade splash really cost

When the Baltimore Orioles traded for Taylor Ward, it came as quite a shock. Targeting Ward made all the sense in the world as fans knew the Orioles wanted to add a power bat, but that the team had to give up on Grayson Rodriguez to finalize that deal was pretty jarring. However, that trade cost the Orioles more than a former top pitching prospect who is now injury-prone, and that cost has now been revealed.

The Orioles have a number of important players that are going through the arbitration process this offseason. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman were the headlining names whose salary figures could determine exactly how much more aggressive the Orioles can realistically be this offseason.

However, Ward is also heading into his final year of arbitration this coming season, and now his arbitration is locked in. Ward will earn $12.175M next season before becoming a free agent in the winter.

Taylor Ward's final arbitration figure could be more consequential than Orioles fans realize

Unlike Henderson and Rutschman, Ward is in his final year of arbitration, which raises his price tag considerably already. On top of that, Ward is a Super Two player, which means he got an extra year of arbitration and putting him on a path to getting paid more before he hits free agency. Baltimore was certainly aware of what they would probably have to pay Ward when they traded for him, but having some level of payroll certainty with him could reveal their next steps pretty quickly here.

Ward's price tag shouldn't prevent the Orioles from pushing harder for top starters like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez. The Orioles clearly want to make more moves, and now they know exactly what they have to work with in terms of resources.

There's no question that Baltimore is approaching the finish line to their offseason. After the housecleaning gets done today, they likely will look to bring in that aforementioned free-agent starter, and then map out their path to the playoffs in 2026.