The Baltimore Orioles agreed Friday to a $68 million, five-year contract through 2030 with newly acquired right-hander Shane Baz.
Baz came to Baltimore from Tampa Bay in a trade in December. He’s scheduled to make his first start for the Orioles on Sunday against Minnesota.
“We were ecstatic to acquire a pitcher of Shane’s talent during the offseason and are thrilled we could come to a long-term agreement to keep him in Baltimore,” Orioles president Mike Elias said. “Our ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, continues to provide our organization with support and resources as we pursue consistent success on the field.”
The 26-year-old Baz went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA last season in 31 starts. That was his first full season after Tommy John surgery.
The deal is a significant commitment for this Baltimore front office, which has largely stuck to short contracts when signing pitchers. But the Orioles gave up four prospects — including two drafted in the top 40 last year — plus a competitive balance pick (No. 33) this year to acquire Baz. Clearly, Baltimore sees a lot of potential in Baz, who was a first-round selection by Pittsburgh back in 2017.
Baz dealt with elbow problems in 2022 and eventually needed Tommy John surgery. He went 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts in 2024 before more than doubling that start total a season ago.
Baz initially reached a $3.5 million deal for 2026, avoiding arbitration. Now he has a superseding long-term agreement instead, which was first reported by ESPN. Before this deal, Baz had three more seasons before free agency.
Also on Friday, the Orioles announced infielder Jackson Holliday (hand) was beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk.
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