Wednesday Bird Droppings: Orioles, Mateo avoid arbitration, sign short extension

Good morning Birdland,

You wanted the Orioles to sign a player to an extension, right? Well, have I got good news for you, because that is exactly what they did on Tuesday.

Jorge Mateo and the Orioles agreed to a new contract that pays him $3.55 million in 2025 and includes a club option for 2026 worth $5.5 million. This new deal allows the two sides to avoid arbitration. And because this includes an option year the Orioles have not broken their “file and trail’ approach to the process. Deals like this cannot be used as a precedent for future hearings.

So, is it really an extension? Ehh, sure. It’s an extension that gives the team an opt-out after 2025. This is the same thing they did with…