Shane Baz, Orioles Reportedly Finalizing 5-Year, $68M Contract Extension, Updated Payroll

Three months after being acquired by the Baltimore Orioles in a trade, Shane Baz is on the verge of signing a long-term contract extension with the club.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Baz and the Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $68 million deal.

There is no immediate impact on Baltimore's payroll since Baz was already set to make $3.5 million in 2026, so their total financial commitments for this season will remain at $204.7 million.

The Orioles acquired Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of prospects including Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick.

None of the players given up in the deal are considered top-100 overall prospects by MLB.com, but all four did make Tampa's top 30 list entering this season.

Baz, meanwhile, was brought in as part of Baltimore's offseason acquisition spree coming off a disappointing 2025. The club also traded for Taylor Ward and also signed Pete Alonso and Chris Bassitt as free agents.

An extension for Baz gives both him and the Orioles stability for the future. His career has been derailed by a series of injuries that limited him to 23 total starts in four seasons from 2021 to '24.

Last season saw Baz set career-highs in starts (31), innings (166.1) and strikeouts (176). His ERA of 4.87 was the seventh-worst among 53 starting pitchers with at least 160 innings, but the fact he made it through a full season without injury was the primary takeaway.

Baz, who won't turn 27 until June 17, got a full offseason to properly prepare his body for the 2026 season. He now has the security of a long-term deal, while the Orioles will buyout his final three arbitration years and two free-agent years.

The right-hander is scheduled to make his first start of the season on Sunday when the Orioles host the Minnesota Twins at 1:35 p.m. ET.