The Orioles agreed Saturday to a two-year, $5.925 million contract with left-hander John Means to avoid arbitration, an industry source with direct knowledge of the agreement confirmed.
Means, 29, was in his first year of arbitration eligibility and was due to go to a hearing with the Orioles to determine his 2022 salary, deciding between the team’s $2.7 million figure and his suggested $3.1 million. The per-year average of Means’ deal, first reported by The Athletic, is slightly above the midpoint of those values.
Means told The Baltimore Sun the deal was in the works over the last week, but the finishing touches were made Friday night.
“It’s nice to get it out of the way,” Means said. “It’s nice to not have to go to court and fight for anything. It’s nice not to have to do that, especially in a sling. That’s probably not the best way to go about it.”
Means was the Orioles’ opening day starter this season but made only two starts before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. He is expected to return sometime in 2023. He will have one year of arbitration eligibility remaining after this contract.
“Everyone wants to avoid arbitration,” Means said. “I’m glad we were able to.”
In addition to calling up top prospect Adley Rutschman, the Orioles on Saturday also reinstated first baseman Ryan Mountcastle from the 10-day injured list, recalled right-hander Mike Baumann and optioned right-hander Logan Gillaspie and left-hander Nick Vespi to Triple-A. Gillaspie and Vespi did not allow a run across their collective first three major league appearances.
“As you start getting better and you start getting more talent at the upper levels and you start getting more talent in the big leagues, the roster moves you make become harder and harder because you’re losing guys that you don’t want to lose sometimes, I think, out of necessity,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’m just so impressed with how our young guys so far this year have come up here and competed at a high level.”
Hyde expects Baumann to provide multiple innings of relief, covering for a bullpen that is in the middle of a lengthy stretch of games. Baumann was sent to Triple-A with the hopes of improving his command, and Hyde now feels he’s throwing more strikes.
