Orioles just made a massive Shane Baz bet fans didn’t see coming

The Baltimore Orioles struck a deal for right-hander Shane Baz during the offseason, and just proved that they have a lot of faith in him moving forward. According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, Baz and Orioles agreed to a five-year, $68 million contract extension.

Baz is the latest of the young Orioles core to be signed to a long-term extension. Baltimore extended an eight-year, $67 million contract to Baz's future battery mate Samuel Basallo just last August.

Orioles sign Shane Baz to contract extension ahead of 2026 debut

The Baz acquisition kind of flew under the radar this offseason. The deal itself was a little obscure and involved a slew of Orioles prospects. Baltimore received Baz, but in return, the Tampa Bay Rays snagged outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, pitcher Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn, and 2026 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick. That was a heavy price to pay.

With a bet that big, it's a good thing the O's decided to take the plung and invest in their starter. Baz is coming off his first healthy season. In Tampa he went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA over 31 starts. Those stats don't necessarily sounds overly impressive, but there's still a lot to like about his long-term future. Which is exactly what the Orioles are banking on.

Baz can dial up his heater to over 97 mph and does a great job of inducing ground balls. He's got a five-pitch mix and will be heavily counted upon to help lead this Baltimore rotation into the future. The right-hander is slated to make his Orioles debut this Sunday at Camden Yards against the Minnesota Twins.

Baz had already agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million salary for the 2026 season, but wasn't set to reach free agency until after the 2028 campaign. It can be assumed that his contract extension will not include this year's salary, though the details of the deal have yet to be revealed.

The focus on the O's fanbase will now turn to Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Trevor Rogers — all of whom will be approaching free agency than fans want to believe. Perhaps there's another contract extension in the works.