O'Hearn's club option: Pricey or reasonable for that level of production?

The Orioles acquired Ryan O’Hearn from the Kansas City Royals on Jan. 3, 2023 for cash considerations. And now, whether he remains an Oriole in 2025, will have a lot to do with how they consider using their cash.

He has a $8.0 million dollar club option for next season. It was originally $7.5 million but that could expand by $500,000 if he exceeded 120 games played, which he did at 142.

On the one hand, some might consider that pricey after he played for $3.5 million last season, an amount that was settled in February to avoid an arbitration hearing. On the other hand is it that pricey for a key player who took 76 percent of his plate appearances in the 2024 season by hitting either third or fourth?

It's a decision the club must make within five days of the end of the World Series. 

He's a middle-of-the-order bat on a team with an above-average major league offense.

Over 494 plate appearances, he hit .264/.334/.427/.761 with 21 doubles, three triples, 15 homers, 59 RBIs and 60 runs scored.

If the O’s decline the option, O’Hearn will be a free agent and able to sign with any team. The team could try to sign him for less but all it takes is one club to top their offer and he could be a goner.

An argument for bypassing that option includes factors like he doesn’t play much versus lefties, his defense can be an issue and other players like Heston Kjerstad and/or Coby Mayo could eventually be taking some of those at-bats.

An argument for keeping him is that his OPS plus was 122 the last two seasons. He produced plus offense trailing only Gunnar Henderson (159), Anthony Santander (134), Jordan Westburg (129) and Colton Cowser (123) in OPS+. He topped Ryan Mountcastle at 113 and both Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins at 107.

O’Hearn is another clubhouse leader type who seems to keep the even keel that serves any MLB club well over the long haul. If he left, no doubt it would be a blow to local reporters. The guy is a sensational interview, providing real insight and always available. He’s a home run for us and that is much, much appreciated but probably no factor in this decision about spending on salary.

A preseason goal for O’Hearn was to walk more. He sure did it, that raising his walk rate from 4.1 percent in 2023 to 9.3 (MLB average was 8.5). He decreased his strikeout percentage from 22.3 to 14.0 (MLB average was 22.7).

O’Hearn finished the year ranked in the 93rd percentile in K percentage. Per Statcast his lowest K% in a season entering 2024 was 22.3 (2023) and his highest was 28.0 (2021 & 2020); the 14.0 K% was the lowest mark by an Oriole since Hanser Alberto in 2019 (9.1).

O’Hearn recorded his 50th RBI of the year on Aug. 28, surpassing the 50 RBI mark in a season for the second time in his career after tallying 60 last year. He finished the year with 59 total RBIs, his second most in a year trailing his 60 RBIs from a year ago. His 27 pinch-hit hits since the start of 2019 are the most in the AL after tallying seven of those this season.

While O’Hearn’s 15 homers produced a new career-high, he had a later season power outage. Starting July 21, he hit just three homers over 62 games and 200 PAs with a .685 OPS.

Now with 6.002 years of service time, O’Hearn can be a free agent and might be that. But the O’s can change that by picking up his 2025 option.

I say there is a good chance they do just that. Per the industry that is a reasonable price for that level of production and someone considered on many nights a middle-of-the-order batter on this club.