Just 24 hours after an Opening Day victory over the Minnesota Twins, the Baltimore Orioles have made a significant investment in the organization’s future, signing right-hander Shane Baz to a five-year, $68 million extension.
Originally selected 12th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2017 MLB Draft, Baz was dealt just over a year later in a blockbuster trade that sent right-hander Chris Archer to Pittsburgh and brought Baz, right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Austin Meadows to Tampa Bay.
Baz made his major-league debut on September 20, 2021, delivering five innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished that season with a 2.03 ERA across three starts, flashing the potential that made him so highly regarded.
Baz opened the 2022 season on the injured list following right elbow surgery. He returned in June and made six starts, posting a 5.00 ERA over 27 innings with 30 strikeouts and nine walks. His season was cut short again, though, after suffering a UCL injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2023 campaign.
Baz returned in July 2024 and showed encouraging signs, compiling a 3.06 ERA over 79.1 innings across 14 starts. With his health trending in the right direction, he entered 2025 with renewed expectations and, for the first time in his career, logged a full season.
Across 31 starts last season, Baz threw 166.1 innings, recording a 4.87 ERA with 174 strikeouts, 64 walks and a 9.5 K/9. The Rays having to play at Steinbrenner Field played a factor into his results, as his home/away splits were drastically different.
The Orioles acquired Baz in December 2025 in a deal that sent prospects Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Austin Overn and Michael Forret to Tampa Bay. The trade drew mixed reactions, but Baz’s performance this spring — highlighted by a 2.61 ERA in three starts — offered a glimpse of the pitcher Baltimore believes he can become.
Now entering his age-26 season, Baz appears poised to build on consecutive healthy campaigns for the first time in years. The Orioles are clearly betting on that momentum continuing.
Baz is scheduled to make his team debut Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. He was set to earn $3.5 million this season, an agreement that avoided an arbitration hearing. The new deal buys out two years of his free agency in 2029 and 2030 and, once finalized, will be the largest deal given to a pitcher in Orioles history.
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