Some team over/unders, plus some arbitration math

Take it for what it's worth, but oddsmakers are anticipating the Orioles take a big step back in their win total for the 2024 season. BetOnline.ag this week put the over-under for Orioles wins at 87.5.

The Orioles won 101 games last year, blowing by preseason over-under totals in the 76- and 77-win range predicted by multiple outlets.

So this is a projection for a lot more than a year ago, but still many fewer than the actual total from the 2023 season.

Going by current listed totals, BetOnline.ag has the Yankees with the most wins in the American League East in 2024, followed by Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Boston.

And while Boston would finish last in this listing, its 80.5 total is much more than the number of wins they forecast for other projected last-place clubs, including the Chicago White Sox (63.5), Oakland Athletics (57.5), Washington Nationals (65.5), Pittsburgh Pirates (72.5) and Colorado Rockies (60.5).

Only the Dodgers and Braves have predicted totals exceeding 100 wins:

Los Angeles Dodgers - 103½
Atlanta Braves - 101½
New York Yankees - 93½
Houston Astros - 92½     
Philadelphia Phillies - 90½     
Texas Rangers - 89½     
Baltimore Orioles - 87½
Toronto Blue Jays - 86½     
Minnesota Twins - 85½
Seattle Mariners - 85½
Chicago Cubs - 84½
St. Louis Cardinals - 84½
Tampa Bay Rays - 84½
Arizona Diamondbacks - 83½
New York Mets - 82½     
San Diego Padres - 81½
San Francisco Giants - 81½
Boston Red Sox - 80½
Cincinnati Reds - 80½
Miami Marlins - 78½ 
Milwaukee Brewers - 78½
Detroit Tigers - 78½
Cleveland Guardians - 77½
Los Angeles Angels - 72½
Pittsburgh Pirates - 72½
Kansas City Royals - 71½
Washington Nationals - 65½
Chicago White Sox - 63½
Colorado Rockies - 60½ 
Oakland Athletics - 57½

Even more math: The Orioles agreed to contract terms for the 2024 season with eight of their players on Thursday, thus avoiding a future arbitration hearing.

The players and terms for 2024:

* Anthony Santander, $11.7 million
* Cedric Mullins, $6.325 million
* Ryan Mountcastle, $4.137 million
* John Means, $3.325 million
* Ramón Urías, $2.1 million
* Cole Irvin, $2 million
* Tyler Wells, $1.9625 million
* Dillon Tate, $1.5 million

Those eight add up to just over $33 million dollars. If you add in the four players the team agreed with previously - Jorge Mateo, Keegan Akin, Ryan McKenna and Sam Hilliard - you get $38.17 million

Five players that the club exchanged contract figures with still could go to a hearing. In you give those five players – Austin Hays, Ryan O’Hearn, Cionel Pérez, Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb – the minimum amounts, the final tally for 17 arbitration-eligible players would be around $51.45 million.