At Saturday's press conference introducing Shane Baz's recently agreed five-year, $68 million extension, Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein signaled openness to further long-term deals with core players, amid recent commitments to Samuel Basallo and Pete Alonso.
BALTIMORE -- Following Friday's reported agreement on a five-year, $68 million extension with right-hander Shane Baz -- the largest ever for a pitcher in franchise history and third-largest overall since August -- the Orioles held a press conference Saturday at Camden Yards to formally announce the deal, which buys out two free-agent years.
Baz, acquired Dec. 19 from Tampa Bay, called it a 'no-brainer.' 'As soon as they reached out, I knew that we wanted to get something done,' he said. 'It's just such a great place to be.'
Since assuming control in March 2024, owner David Rubenstein has overseen an aggressive spending approach. 'We are open for business, of course,' he said. 'We’re interested in doing the best we can for the team... We have the resources necessary to do this with others who are interested in this.'
President of baseball operations Mike Elias, MLB's 2023 Executive of the Year, credited the ownership group: 'They’re very serious. They believe in this franchise and this city. We’ve been bold in free agency and with contracts.'
Teammates voiced support. Catcher Adley Rutschman praised the 'great culture,' while Basallo said via interpreter it would be 'great to be here with them for a long time.' Shortstop Gunnar Henderson indicated he has 'open ears' to an extension, prioritizing wins.
The moves follow catcher Samuel Basallo's eight-year, $67 million extension last August and first baseman Pete Alonso's five-year, $155 million free-agent signing.
The Orioles opened the 2026 season with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day, sparked by starter Trevor Rogers' seven shutout innings. Baz is set for his debut Sunday.