The Baltimore Orioles have a solid idea of what their group of position players will resemble as they approach the new season.
With a roster filled with prominent stars or emerging talents on the verge of advancing in their careers, the organization faces challenging roster choices, and this was the case even prior to the addition of Dylan Carlson.
Jorge Mateo is aiming to rebound from a season cut short by injury in 2024.
The utility player was seen as someone who could contribute in various ways for this Orioles team, covering several positions on defense and altering games with his speed once he reaches base. Regrettably, he needed UCL surgery following his placement on the injured list in late July, and he could not reach the objectives set by both sides.
Mateo might play a crucial role in the puzzle this year.
Despite his offensive statistics not being particularly impressive with a career 80 OPS+, he was on track to deliver one of the best performances at the plate throughout his five Major League seasons until he sustained an injury. And with a defensive bWAR of 3.2, he is exceeding
The sole uncertainty was regarding his contract situation.
Baltimore and Mateo were unable to settle on a salary before the Jan. 15 deadline, suggesting that the two were headed for an arbitration hearing.
Nevertheless, the two parties have reached an agreement regarding the 2025 campaign, with Francys Romero reporting it amounts to $3.55 million. He additionally stated a club option has been established for 2026 valued between $5.5 and $6 million based on his performance this year.
Initially, the two parties could not reach a consensus because Mateo requested $4 million, while the Orioles offered $3.1 million, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
With the versatile player now secured at a budget-friendly salary for 2025, and an even lower rate for next season if he excels this year, Baltimore has nearly all of its position player roles settled as spring approaches.
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