The Baltimore Orioles bolstered their outfield depth on Tuesday by signing former Atlanta Braves outfielder Ramón Laureano to a $4 million deal.
Laureano, 30, hit free agency after a resurgent 2024 season with Atlanta, where he posted a .259 batting average with 11 home runs, eight stolen bases, and a .748 OPS (107 OPS+). It marked his best OPS+ performance since 2021 with Oakland.
Laureano has played all three outfield positions and is best known for his strong throwing arm. His defensive ability would be an upgrade for the Orioles in right field, filling a need after slugger Anthony Santander departed for Toronto on a five-year free-agent deal.
Colton Cowser, 24, was a consensus Top-100 prospect for the past three years. In his 2024 major league debut, he posted an impressive 3-WAR season, hitting .242/.321/.447, which equated to a 123 OPS+. Cowser finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil.
Although Cowser’s performance was uneven at times, Laureano provides the Orioles with valuable depth. He can serve as a backup in right field for Cowser, as well as in center field for Cedric Mullins and left field for Tyler O’Neill.
O’Neill, who signed a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the Orioles in December, is a key addition. Since then, the Orioles have largely stayed out of the spotlight while their AL East rivals have made significant upgrades to their lineups.
Along with O’Neill and Laureano, the Orioles have also added catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Dylan Carlson to their position-player group for 2025. The Orioles finished the 2024 season with a 91-71 record, securing second place in the American League East. However, they were eliminated by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the postseason.
Since the end of last season, Baltimore has bolstered its starting rotation by adding veterans Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano. However, they lost their ace, Corbin Burnes, to free agency.
Laureano, a native of the Dominican Republic, made his MLB debut with the Oakland A’s in 2018. Over seven seasons with the A’s, Cleveland Guardians, and Atlanta, he has posted a career slash line of .247/.319/.430 (108 OPS+).
After being released by the Cleveland Guardians in May, Laureano signed with Atlanta just four days later. He proved to be a productive fill-in while reigning MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. was sidelined, hitting .296 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 67 games with the Braves to finish the year.
