Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Choosing Draft Pick over Mark Trumbo

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:13 p.m. ET

Fansided, Ryan Schultz/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Mark Trumbo rejected the qualifying offer from the Baltimore Orioles. Now the Orioles may prefer the compensation draft pick to signing Trumbo themselves.

It doesn’t happen very often that a team has the opportunity to sign a player that rejected their qualifying offer only to reject that opportunity in place of a draft pick. The Baltimore Orioles may do exactly that with Mark Trumbo. According to an MLB.com article, the Orioles would rather receive the compensation draft pick as part of the qualifying offer system than re-sign Mark Trumbo.

On the exterior, Trumbo looks like a player that shouldn’t have a problem finding a team to sign with. He led the big leagues in home runs last year, but he slashed a mediocre .256/.316/.533. It was clear that he needed to get on base more often; however, his downfalls were overshadowed by his ability to belt balls over the fence. Had he reached this same free agency five or ten years ago as the major league leader in home runs, he would likely already be signed to a huge contract. Instead, the value of hitters that solely hit dingers has declined. Encarnacion signed for less than expected, and both Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo are still searching for a team to sign with.

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Add to the scenario that the Orioles just spent big on a player with offensive profile eerily similar to Trumbo, and it makes no sense for the Orioles to sign Trumbo. In the short term, he fills a hole in their roster. If they signed him, they might be able to chase down the Red Sox, and perhaps others, in the division. If nothing else, they would have a shot at another appearance in the Wild Card game. Perhaps the loss last year put a sour taste about winning a Wild Card spot in their mouths–but that’s a totally different topic. Regardless, two or three years later the contracts to both Chris Davis and Trumbo would begin to take their toll.

Instead, the Orioles are being wise about their future. Loading up on homer-happy players like Davis and Trumbo made sense during the 2016 season because there was no long term commitment. Now that they are entering a time of some retooling, it wouldn’t be wise to give another contract similar to the one Davis got. It would be especially hindering when it comes to the impending free agency of superstar Manny Machado. They may not have a chance to sign Machado to an extension, or once he hits free agency, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have some financial flexibility.

On the surface the idea of choosing a late first round pick over a 47 home run player doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. When we dig deeper we can see that the Orioles are being wise about their decision making. Rather than put all their eggs into the 2017 basket and likely getting poor results, they are giving themselves options. That type of ideology should always be praised.