Right-handed pitcher Shane Baz and the Baltimore Orioles are completing a five-year, $68 million agreement, ESPN sources report, thereby reinforcing the team’s starting corps for the long haul with a highly promising arm obtained through a trade this past winter.
Once considered among baseball’s premier pitching prospects, the 26-year-old Baz has recorded merely 286 major league innings due to a series of injuries. With 166⅓ of those innings coming last season for Tampa Bay, the Orioles are banking on Baz to fulfill his considerable potential and develop into a top-tier rotation starter.
Boasting a fastball that consistently sits at 96 mph and reaches speeds of 99, along with four other pitches including a devastating knuckle curve, Baz possesses the kind of arsenal characteristic of the game’s elite hurlers. Baltimore sent four prospects and the 33rd pick in the 2026 draft to incorporate him into a pitching staff they significantly revamped over the winter.
This contract signifies the Orioles’ reaffirmation of their decision – and their conviction that Baz will maintain his health moving forward. Drafted 12th overall in 2017 by Pittsburgh, he was moved to the Rays a year later in the Chris Archer deal, and by 2021, appeared destined for stardom upon his debut in Tampa Bay. The subsequent season, Baz underwent two elbow surgeries, one of which was an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction that resulted in his absence for all of 2023 and half of 2024.
Baz has not missed a scheduled start since, and even though his 4.87 ERA last year was considerably higher than the league average, his 176 strikeouts hinted at the reemergence of his premium pitches and his capacity to position himself at the forefront of a staff.
Baltimore’s starting pitching, a clear vulnerability a year ago when the Orioles finished 75-87 and failed to reach the postseason after two consecutive appearances, has notably strengthened since then. Left-hander Trevor Rogers pitched seven scoreless frames on Opening Day, right-hander Kyle Bradish performed brilliantly upon his comeback last season following Tommy John surgery, and Baltimore acquired free agent veterans Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin during the winter to complete the pitching contingent.
Baz, whose expected role is in the heart of the rotation, was slated for free agency after the conclusion of the 2028 season. This new deal commences this year, encompasses three arbitration seasons, and secures two free agent years.