It is fair to say that the Baltimore Orioles' offseason did not live up to expectations coming into the 2025 season. Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances with a seemingly strong young core in place, one would have thought that Mike Elias and Co. would have worked harder to invest in this roster to take advantage of their competitive window. Instead, they only supplemented their ailing rotation with past-their-prime veterans and did little to reinforce the roster anywhere else. One of the moves that they did make was taking a gamble on Dylan Carlson.
There was a time not that long ago when Carlson was considered one of the best young hitters in baseball. A first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2016, Carlson finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, showing a nice blend of power and ability to get on base. He declined over the next three seasons in St. Louis, but Baltimore was at least working with a guy who had some real talent on a cheap contract.
Well, 71 games on ineptitude later, it is clear that Carlson is not going anywhere with the Orioles, and the odds are high that his major league career as a whole is in jeopardy.
Orioles' took a risk on Dylan Carlson and it absolutely did not pay off
The odds that Carlson was going to turn into an All-Star were always low. From 2022-2024, Carlson only managed a .649 OPS and a dismal .225 average, with his production dipping each consecutive season. However, Baltimore was probably hoping for a modest rebound on the cheap from a guy that should have been playing as though his career depended on it.
Instead, in 215 plate appearances, Carlson has slashed .205/.274/.349 with just six homers. He has had a couple big moments here and there, but most Orioles fans probably routinely forget that Carlson is even on the team. Given his performance this season, that is probably for the best.
At this point, one has to wonder what team would dare give Carlson a big league contract after this season. Odds are that he will have to take a minor league deal and a non-roster invite to spring training and then just cross his fingers that he can impress a team enough to give him another chance. If current trends hold, Carlson will fall short again.