Orioles protect two prospects from Rule 5 draft
A flurry of actual news came through yesterday, including 40-man roster additions and qualifying offer decisions.
Good Morning, Birdland,
Two notable offseason deadlines came and went on Tuesday. First, players that were given the qualifying offer had to determine whether they would accept it or not, and then teams had to add Rule 5-eligible players to their 40-man rosters in order to protect them from said draft next month. Both deadlines were relevant for the Orioles.
Twelve of the 13 players that were extended the $21.05 million qualifying offer declined it. Nick Martinez, a pitcher for the Reds, was the only one to take it. He is a player that may have made sense for the Orioles, but it won’t be happening this offseason.
Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, both O’s in 2024, turned down the one-year deal. This was expected as both can get big, long-term deals on the open market. Burnes will likely also get a higher AAV than $21.05 million as well. Santander may not, but it’s worth it to get more guaranteed money overall.
Should Burnes and/or Santander sign elsewhere this winter, the Orioles, as revenue sharing recipients, will be compensated with a draft pick that would fall after the first round in next year’s amateur draft.
If the Orioles sign a player that has declined a qualifying offer themselves, they would have to give up their third-highest selection. So, say that the Orioles do not get Burnes or Santander back, but they sign Max Fried (This post originally mentioned Blake Snell, but was edited when a commenter noted that Snell was, in fact, not given a QO). They would only get one comp pick after the first round. That gives Elias some decent latitude to be aggressive in the free agent market if he sees fit. Otherwise, the Orioles could end up with three picks in the top ~35 or so, which is an alluring option itself.
On the Rule 5 front, the Orioles protected two pitchers: Brandon Young and Kade Strowd. They now have 39 players on their 40-man roster, leaving open a spot for roster flexibility.
