Praise for Orioles draft is distracting from a growing crisis fans can’t ignore

Everyone seems to love the Baltimore Orioles haul from this year's draft, and why not? Bleacher Report handed out an A grade to Mike Elias and the Orioles front office for their masterful job during the two-day event. Former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden, now a contributor for The Athletic (subscription required), called Baltimore one of the biggest winners of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Both evaluations, and the others that Orioles fans have surely seen to this point, are certainly accurate. Baltimore walked aways with quite the haul. Landing Ike Irish, Caden Bodine, and Wehiwa Aloy were undeniable steals on the part of Elias and Co.

But something that gets lost in this entire line of thinking is why Baltimore is in position to draft all these talented young players. The O's gained an extra two picks because they failed to keep both Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander this past offseason, and received picks No. 30 and 31 as compensation.

Praise for Orioles draft is distracting from a growing crisis fans can’t ignore

The Orioles have done a poor job of retaining their top talent. Sure, O's fans can look at the horrible production from Santander with the Toronto Blue Jays this season, and the season-ending injury incurred by Burnes and think to themselves, "Glad that's not our problem." But in fact, it's indicative a bigger problem.

Baltimore, despite having new ownership with deep pockets, has not only refused to spend on free agents, but have not agreed to any long-term deals with any of their elite young stars. The only player under contract beyond the 2025 season is free agent flop Tyler O'Neill. The O's are on the hook for the remaining $33 million of his contract through the 2027 season.

Players like Adley Rutschman, Felix Bautista, and Dean Kremer have entered their arbitration windows, while Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, and Gunner Henderson are still pre-arbitration eligible. These are all players Baltimore should be looking to secure to long-term deals, but at the moment, those conversations have yet to take place.

Winning the draft on paper is great, but if the O's plan to continually recycle players and fail to extend them beyond arbitration, Baltimore could be stuck in this constant state of tear down and build up. It's time for the Orioles to plant their flag and secure a couple players for the long-term.

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