Here are all of the Orioles players entering free agency after the 2024 season

James McCann ($12.2 million)

James McCann will forever be an Orioles fan favorite after the way he handled himself this year. Top to bottom, from getting plunked in the face by a fastball and staying in the game, to being an exceptional clubhouse presence, McCann has been such a vital piece for an O's team filled with younger players.

The problem is that the Orioles have a stud prospect in Samuel Basallo at Triple-A Norfolk. While Basallo might not make the roster out of spring training, he could make his debut later in 2025. In a vacuum, it would be great if the Orioles could keep McCann around for his intangibles and leadership, but it'll depend heavily on his price.

If he's going to cost upwards of $12 million again, it's likely that he leaves in free agency. But if the Orioles can get him to return at a reduced cost, there's a chance the two sides could reach a deal.

John Means ($3.3 million)

John Means was a very good pitcher for the Orioles back in 2019 and 2021. Since 2022, he's thrown a combined 52 innings over the past three years. They've been respectable innings, sure. But that kind of volume is just so hard to trust moving forward.

With guys like Cade Povich, Chayce McDermott, and Brandon Young in the pipeline, it's hard to see the Orioles putting a ton of effort into retaining Means. If they can get him cheap on a 1+1, you can make a case for it, especially if the O's struggle to sign or trade for a Corbin Burnes replacement.

Unfortunately, it feels like we may have seen the last of John Means in an Orioles uniform. It'll be an unceremonious departure if he signs elsewhere but a team hoping to compete for a division title can only take so many risks. Means might not be one of them.

Austin Slater ($246k)

Austin Slater has been a fine addition to an Orioles team in need of outfield help in the second half. He's not perfect but has done enough to keep his roster spot for the past two months.

However, he won't be a priority in the offseason and almost certainly won't return to Baltimore under any circumstances. The Orioles have too much talent elsewhere to spend a roster spot on Slater moving forward.

Players entering option years

All five of Seranthony Dominguez, Eloy Jimenez, Ryan O'Hearn, Danny Coulombe, and Cionel Perez have team options at the end of the year.

Dominguez and Coulombe feel like locks to come back, while they almost certainly will decline the option for Jimenez. O'Hearn and Perez could go either way. Both have been solid contributors to this point but their production could theoretically be replaced, so we'll have to wait and see how the O's handle those cases.