Taking another look at Orioles' arbitration-eligible players

Pitcher Max Scherzer, the 2013 Cy Young Award winner, is a free agent after turning down the Tigers' offer of a six-year, $144 million extension in March. They made a qualifying offer to him yesterday, which he's also going to toss away like circus peanuts in a Halloween bag.

I mention it only as a pre-emptive strike against fans and media who try to connect the Orioles to him. They're not going to spend that kind of money. They're not in his neighborhood. They won't try to talk their way past the guard. Just forget about him unless you're curious to find out whether he's going to crack $200 million.

Fans who want the Orioles to open the vault and re-sign outfielder Nelson Cruz and left-hander Andrew Miller need to factor in raises for the arbitration-eligible players. It's an interesting mix of guys in their first year of eligibility and guys who will become free agents following the 2015 season.

Consider the jump in pay that awaits first-timers Chris Tillman ($546,000 in 2014), Zach Britton ($521,500), Miguel Gonzalez ($529,000) and Ryan Flaherty ($513,000).

Tillman started on opening day and in Game 1 of the American League Division Series and Championship Series. He was 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 34 starts this season and exceeded 200 innings for the second consecutive year. The 34 starts tied for the major league lead.

Britton, pitching exclusively out of the bullpen for the first time in his career, went 3-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 71 games and notched 37 saves in 41 opportunities. He led all relievers with a 6.68 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio and 75.8 groundball percentage. He's the 10th different Oriole to record a 30-save season and the seventh American League left-hander in history with 37 or more saves.

Gonzalez was 10-9 with a 3.23 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) and posted a 2.19 ERA in 11 starts over the second half. He permitted three earned runs or fewer in 23 starts.

Not his fault that he couldn't get into a playoff game until the final one.

Flaherty batted .221/.288/.356 with 15 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 32 RBIs in 102 games and was the player trusted to handle third base in the postseason. He played all four infield spots and the outfield this season. He also set career highs in games, plate appearances (312), hits (62), runs (33), doubles, RBIs, walks (22) and total bases (100).

Chris Davis, Alejandro De Aza, Tommy Hunter, Bud Norris, Steve Pearce and Matt Wieters are entering their final year under team control before free agency. Davis may be the most interesting case, given his jump from $3.3 million to $10.3 million last winter after hitting 53 home runs. And how he dipped to a .196/.300/.404 line with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs this season before his 25-game suspension for a second positive test for Adderall.

I've heard that the Orioles will give Davis a contract despite speculation that he could be non-tendered. How much of an increase should he expect?

Probably not another $7 million.

Wieters's salary went from $5.5 million in 2013 to $7.7 million this season, but he appeared in only 26 games before undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He was off to a fantastic start, batting .308/.339/.500 with five doubles, five home runs and 18 RBIs. How does a club project his salary in such a small sample size?

De Aza made $4.25 million this season while batting .243/.309/.354 with 19 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 31 RBIs in 122 games with the White Sox and .293/.341/.537 with five doubles, three triples, three home runs and 10 RBIs in 20 games with the Orioles.

What is Norris worth after making $5.3 million this season, an increase from $3 million in 2013, and going 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts? His previous career high was 10 wins. He went 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 14 starts against division opponents, and the Orioles were 13-1 in those games.

Hunter didn't last as the closer, but he went 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA and 11 saves in 60 outings while earning $3 million, an increase from $1.82 million the previous season. He posted a 1.73 ERA in his final 43 appearances.

Pearce has made $700,000 in each of the past two seasons and he's due for a nice bump in pay after setting career highs across the board. In 102 games, Pearce batted .293/.373/.556 with 26 doubles, 21 home runs, 49 RBIs, 51 runs and 40 walks.

Matusz is a Super 2, giving him four years of arbitration eligibility, and he can't test free agency until the conclusion of the 2016 season. His salary went from $1.6 million to $2.4 million, and the Orioles must decide how high they want to go if continuing to use him as a left-handed specialist.

Matusz was 2-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 63 appearances. Left-handers hit .223 against him and right-handers hit .277. The previous year, lefties hit .168 and right-handers hit .302.

Shameless plug alert: I'll be part of the "Wall to Wall Baseball" crew from noon-2 p.m. on MASN.