Orioles add to outfield competition with signing of Dylan Carlson

The Orioles signed their sixth major league free agent of the offseason on Monday, switch-hitting outfielder Dylan Carlson, who spent last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2016, Carlson was picked 33^rd overall in the draft and in 2021 finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, hitting .266 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs and a .780 OPS.

Carlson hasn’t come close to hitting that well since. Last year, he hit a combined .209 and a .563 OPS with three home runs and 25 RBIs in 96 games with St. Lous and Tampa Bay.

It already seemed as if the Orioles had tight competition for the outfield. With Carlson’s addition, each of their 17 position players on the 40-man roster had significant playing time in the major leagues last year and with the Orioles able to carry just 13, there won’t be enough room on the Opening Day roster for four of them.

Carlson replaced infielder Jacob Amaya on the 40-man roster. It wasn’t a surprise when the Orioles designated Amaya for assignment after he was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox on January 16^th.

Amaya, who played 23 games for the White Sox and one for Houston last season, could be infield depth at Triple-A Norfolk if he passes through waivers. Earlier this month, another infielder, Liván Soto, cleared waivers, and he and Amaya could stay ready at Norfolk if an infield need arises.

The Orioles have six outfielders on the 40-man roster: Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Heston Kjerstad, all left-handed hitters; Tyler O’Neill, a teammate of Carlson’s with the Cardinals from 2020-2023, who bats right-handed; Daz Cameron, who was purchased by the Orioles from Oakland last October 31^st, another right-hander; and Carlson.

Carlson’s numbers have been disappointing since 2021, but he is a switch-hitter as was Anthony Santander, who signed last week with the Toronto Blue Jays after hitting 44 home runs for the Orioles last season.

Carlson has started most often in center field, and with Mullins and Cowser both left-handed hitters, it’s a plus to have a right-handed hitter who can play center. O’Neill has played center occasionally, but he’s probably needed in right field more often.

If the Orioles carry Cowser, Kjerstad, Mullins, O’Neill and Carlson, that means they can carry just six infielders since they’ll have two catchers.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn, who can play in the corner outfield, will play first base. Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg should play second base, shortstop and third base with either Ramón Urías or Jorge Mateo as the extra infielder.

One of the attractions of Mateo, who missed most of the second half of last season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, is that he has excellent speed and could double as an extra outfielder.

Urías came in handy last summer after injuries to Mateo and Westburg.

The Orioles also have Coby Mayo, the 14^th-rated prospect in the minors, according to MLB Pipeline. Mayo plays first and third, but there may not be room for him.

Emmanuel Rivera, who hit .313 with a .948 OPS, four home runs and 14 RBIs in 33 games after he was acquired off waivers from Miami in August, is also on the 40-man roster.

Mayo and Rivera play first and third base.

The Carlson signing isn’t an expensive one. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Carlson signed for $975,000 with a $25,000 bonus if he receives 200 plate appearances.

He was non-tendered by the Rays on November 22^nd.

Besides playing with O’Neill with the Cardinals, Carlson was a teammate of right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge, who was signed to a one-year, $10 million contract with a $9 million option for 2026 earlier this month, for four months in St. Louis last season.

The Orioles also signed two right-handed starting pitchers — 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 35-year-old Japanese Tomoyuki Sugano — and catcher Gary Sánchez to free-agent contracts earlier this offseason.

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