A few thoughts as O's tender six players contracts

Perhaps only a lockout could keep the Orioles from making what seems now almost daily changes to their 40-man roster. Yesterday began with the club holding 40 players on the 40-man. It ended with them at 38 after tendering contracts and/or reaching agreements with all six of their remaining arbitration-eligible players.

No one was non-tendered. No one was traded.

The Orioles have also signed infielder Rougned Odor, 27, to a one-year contract and outrighted infielder Richie Martin to Triple-A. That brings the roster back to 38.

Tuesday began with the news that right-hander Brooks Kriske was being released to pursue an international opportunity. Later, the Washington Nationals claimed infielder Lucius Fox via waivers, ending his stay with the club after just two weeks. That escalated and then de-escalated quickly.

The fact that the Orioles tendered outfielder Anthony Santander a contract for 2022 should have come as no surprise. Even though they have some outfielders closing in on the majors - players like Kyle Stowers and Robert Neustrom come to mind - keeping a young talent that was their Most Valuable Oriole in 2020 for $3.15 million (the salary the sides agreed to) seemed like an easy call.

The fact he has three years of team control left and could be coming into his prime years made this a no brainer for me. Just my take - I don't get to actually make any decisions, in case you were wondering.

Santander produced an .890 OPS during his MVO year - but, yes, that was in just 37 games. But in 2021, over 438 plate appearances, he batted .241/.286/.433/.720 with 24 doubles, 18 homers and 50 RBIs. His OPS+ was 135 in 2020 and 92 last year. Santander was paid $2.1 million via arbitration in 2020 and was projected to get $3.7 million this time by MLBTradeRumors.com. He and the club avoided arbitration when they agreed on the deal for $3.15 million for next season.

Should Santander bounce back and have a big year, the Orioles would be delighted to see it. If it happens at the same time that Stowers, Neustrom or someone else like Yusniel Diaz is tearing it up on the farm, he could become someone with big trade value in July.

MLB.com was first to report the Santander agreement and dollar amount.

Jorge López seemed an unlikely non-tender candidate and he agreed on a new deal with the Orioles for $1.5 million, avoiding arbitration as first reported by FanSided.com.

López went 3-14 last season with a 6.07 ERA. But he looked solid pitching in relief over his last eight games. Out of the bullpen only, he posted an ERA of 2.16 with an 0.960 WHIP, 10 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings and a .194 average against. The club was hoping to see more of him out of the bullpen, but he suffered a sprained ankle and didn't pitch after Sept. 6.

López in the bullpen was intriguing. He gave up one run or less in each appearance, while six of the outings were scoreless and four were hitless. He could even have some closer potential with that mid to upper 90s heater.

The club tendered a contract to Trey Mancini, which again was no surprise. Mancini can become a free agent at the end of next season. So here we go again with future questions about him, such as will the club look to trade him or will there be any talks of a long-term contract.

A few weeks ago I presented this option for the club - sign him and keep open the option to trade him later. Later could be during the 2022 season or the winter after or the next year or year after. Just because a team would lock up a player for some number of his free agent years doesn't mean they can't later trade the same player. While we often see deadline trades of players on expiring contracts, we also see teams with interest in players that are signed for a season or two beyond a free agent year. And those deals can bring more back to the team trading that player that is not a pending free agent.

Please take none of this to mean that I endorse a trade of Mancini. I don't. But if the Orioles could work out a way to sign Mancini and buy out a free agent year, or several of them, perhaps in return they get the right to trade him at any time and avoid any no-trade clauses. It would just be a way for the team to keep all future options open.

Odor made 60 starts at second base and 29 at third base for the 2021 Yankees. He hit .202/.286/.379 with 15 home runs, 12 doubles, 42 runs and 39 RBIs. His eight Outs Above Average ranked second among AL second basemen and tied for fourth in the majors, according to Statcast. The Yankees went 56-33 (.629) in games he started.

The Orioles also signed lefty reliever Paul Fry and tendered contracts to two other southpaws, starter John Means and reliever Tanner Scott.

The Maracaibo, Venezuela, native was originally signed by the Texas Rangers in 2011 as an international free agent. Since 2014, he ranks third in the majors in games played as a second baseman (908), trailing only DJ LeMahieu (915) and Jose Altuve (1049). He was an American League Gold Glove finalist at second base during the 2018 season. His 157 home runs as a second baseman since 2014 are the most among active players. He has played in 24 career games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, slashing .294/.368/.447 at 25-for-85.

Sunday and Monday were crazy days around the major leagues. Tuesday was a busy day of transactions around Birdland. Now we wait to find out if all transactions will now stop as of later tonight.