Orioles may have unlocked major trade value with a low key arbitration move

Thursday's arbitration deadline was bound to a busy one for the Baltimore Orioles front office. While Mike Elias and his team have put together quite the offseason in Baltimore, the Orioles had a number of players who were up for arbitration this winter, and most of those deals were expected to ironed out this week.

A surprising development occurred, however, when it was reported by FanSided's Robert Murray that Ryan Mountcastle — a player many fans assume wouldn't even part of the Orioles' 2026 plans — signed a one-year, $6.878 million deal to avoid arbitration. Even more interesting is the $7.5 million club-option included in the agreement.

At first glance, many Orioles fans are probably floored by the fact that Baltimore agreed to a deal that would conceivably keep Mountcastle around for two more seasons. But digging a little deeper reveals that this might be a ploy on the part of the O's front office to make one of their top trade chips even more desirable.

Orioles slugger Ryan Mountcastle may have even greater trade value now

If the Orioles plan to trade Mountcastle, and based on the way their current roster is constructed, they should, a team in the market for the slugger's services now has cost certainty. Not just for the 2026 season, but for 2027 as well.

This type of contract is music to the ears of numerous small-market GMs who operate on a razor-thin budget. Teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, both of whom are trying to keep their payroll low in 2026, now have an even bigger incentive to trade for the Orioles' slugger.

Last season, Mountcastle had a down-year by his standards. The 28-year-old hit .250/.286/.367 with just seven home runs, 35 RBI, and an 83 OPS+. But in the two years prior, Mountcastle managed to post a .270/.317/.438 slash line with a combined 31 homers, 131 RBI, and a 113 OPS+. If the Orioles can sell another team on those numbers, it's possible they'll be able to receive a nice return.