The Orioles’ arbitration picture is already taking shape, and this winter’s list is a much smaller one than the club dealt with after the 2025 season. There are seven eligible players this time around, compared with 11 last offseason, when Baltimore reached deals with nine before going to a hearing with Kyle Bradish and defeating Keegan Akin.
Bradish came out of that process with a $3.55 million salary instead of the Orioles’ $2.875 million figure, then landed a five-year, $90 million extension on July 18. One of the perks in that deal, according to Cot’s Contracts, was a hotel suite on road trips. Akin, meanwhile, had to accept $2.975 million instead of $3.375 million, and his situation took a sharp turn when he underwent Tommy John surgery in July and became a pending free agent.
The 2026 class includes Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Leody Taveras, Félix Bautita, Albert Suárez and Codi Heuer. MLBTradeRumors.com has Henderson in line for the biggest jump, projecting him from $8.5 million to $14.1 million after a season in which he hit .226/.311/.404 with 27 doubles, six triples, 24 home runs and 60 RBIs in 158 games. Henderson also said during the final series at Yankee Stadium that wrist soreness bothered him for about half the season, and the $8.5 million figure is a franchise record for a player in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
The other projected raises are more modest. MLBTR has Taveras moving from $2.1 million to $3.7 million, Bautista from $2.25 million to $2.4 million, Cowser from $801,500 to $2.2 million in his first arbitration year, and Westburg from $802,800 to $1.5 million in his first arbitration year.
Taveras ended up in 139 games, more than expected for a player brought in as an extra outfielder before injuries and the trade deadline changed the picture. He hit .219/.288/.345 with 18 doubles, six triples, eight homers and 56 RBIs. His six triples tied Henderson for the team lead, and his 56 RBIs ranked fourth on the club, though his hold on a roster spot for next season is not locked in.
Bautista’s path back has been slower and more complicated. He signed in November to avoid arbitration, the same day the Orioles non-tendered Suárez, and later returned from shoulder surgery to pitch twice in September.
In those outings, he allowed three runs and four hits with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Baltimore will count on him to at least share closing duties next season, with Ryan Helsley expected to exercise his $14 million option and multiple bullpen moves still pending.
Cowser’s season came with plenty of playing time and strong defense. He appeared in 142 games and was an exceptional center fielder, but his bat stayed uneven at .226/.317/.370 with 10 doubles, 13 homers and 40 RBIs.
He was especially limited against left-handers, hitting .158 with a 445 OPS in 65 plate appearances. Even so, his 2.5 bWAR ranked third among current Orioles, and the team appears set to put him back into the outfield mix while hoping for more offense.
Westburg did not play at all this season after Tommy John surgery, but he has started a hitting progression and is expected to be ready for spring training, whenever camps open. From there, his next step is straightforward enough: stay healthy.
Suárez’s year was one of the stranger ones on the roster. He signed a minor league deal on Dec. 17 with a $780,000 base salary upon reaching the majors, and the Orioles selected his contract five times amid multiple designations for assignment, outright refusals and new agreements.
It was one of the crazier seasons that I can remember with any player. MLBTR projects him at $1.1 million, but another removal from the 40-man roster would not come as a surprise.
Heuer, another bullpen name in the mix, was recalled twice in September and never appeared in a game after the Orioles purchased his contract from the Brewers on Aug. 3. MLBTR also pegs him at $1.1 million, and he could be fighting for a 40-man spot as well.
The 2025 arbitration group included Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells, all of whom were traded at the deadline this year. Trevor Rogers is now a pending free agent, and Ryan Mountcastle’s $6.787 deal included a $7.5 million team option that could be declined after a fractured foot and severe oblique injury limited him to eight games.
And while this winter’s list starts at seven, it may not stay there for long. More additions can always surface later, with Ward last offseason serving as the reminder.
In Other News...
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The larger wrinkle is that these calls are not happening in a vacuum. Arbitration decisions often turn on money, performance, and roster fit, but this winter they could also be shaped by the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which add another layer of uncertainty to every hold or cut. For an Orioles front office trying to balance continuity with flexibility, the first real separation between useful depth and avoidable risk may already be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]