The Orioles have avoided arbitration with righty Kevin Gausman, per a team announcement. He will earn $5.6MM for the coming season, per Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
As MLBTR’s 2018 MLB Arbitration Tracker shows, Gausman had been the last remaining Orioles arb agreement to be hammered out. The sides had been scheduled for a hearing tomorrow, with Gausman set to seek $6.225MM and the club countering with a $5.3MM price tag.
Rather than trudge out of camp to go before a panel, Gausman and the O’s have settled their differences. He had projected at a lofty $6.8MM after earning $3.45MM as a Super Two last year, but clearly neither player nor team thought that was a realistic price point.
While the 27-year-old did complete a career-high 186 2/3 innings in 2017, the results failed to match his output from the season prior. He ended up with a 4.68 ERA and 8.6 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9.
E munchy
Yay….
yankeeaddiction
The Orioles should trade him now. The O’s are not going to contend in 2018 nor are they loaded with prospects. An affordable arm like Gausman would bring back a decent return. I think Gausman brings back a better return than Ordizzi.
atomicfront
He is under team control through 2020. Why would you trade him even if you were doing a rebuild? You need someone to pitch.
dimitriinla
His results have not been there but he is a terrific arm. He is a real solid (potentially) piece of their future rotation. He has the stuff to be dominant — just needs to use his offspeed pitches more effectively. In short, he is precisely the type of arm the Orioles should not give up on them – they have a potentially terrific future rotation and he is an integral part of that.
dimitriinla
Yeah, hats off to the Orioles organization for avoiding arbitration with all of their players. Gone are the days when the organization’s primary bragging right was its record against its players in arbitration cases. Well done to the front office!
jdgoat
No they’ll try and build his value back up. They’d be selling low right now. I could definitely see him or Bundy on the block though at the trade deadline if either can bounce back from last years performances.
Trevor 3
Not happening
dimitriinla
Bundy and Gausman are (at least) potentially solid pieces of the O’s future. Both have potential front of the rotation stuff.
jbigz12
bundy isn’t going anywhere.
GareBear
His value is at a low point after last season, with his stuff they might be facing Arrieta 2.0 if they sold low
cxcx
$3.4m seems like a lofty raise projection after such a middling season. $2m-$2.5m would have been more reasonable.
Bravesbutt
Gausman is an ASSet.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
And this is coming from a BravesButt???
oriolesravenstimberwolves04
So he would know
outinleftfield
After years of hard lining Arbitration cases, the O’s are suddenly signing with them. Nice change to see.
dimitriinla
Exactly.
osfandan
Now we just need our stance on the international market, contracts more than 3 years, etc to change….