The Orioles checked a large item off their offseason to-do list Thursday by settling deals with nine of their 11 players before potential arbitration hearings.

Ahead of the filing deadline, Baltimore and shortstop Gunnar Henderson agreed to an $8.5 million contract for 2026, sources told The Banner. Another source said right-hander Dean Kremer and the Orioles settled at $5.75 million.

After a career year for Baltimore, left-hander Trevor Rogers agreed to a $6.2 million contract for 2026, two sources said.

In addition, the Orioles agreed to a $12.175 million contract with newly acquired outfielder Taylor Ward, a source confirmed. FanSided first reported the deal. Ward, whom the Orioles added by trading right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels, is coming off a 36-home run season.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle also settled with the potential to stay for an addition year. As FanSided first reported and a source confirmed, Mountcastle agreed to a $6.787 million contract for 2026, with a club option worth $7.5 million for 2027 included in his deal. Additionally, catcher Adley Rutschman and Baltimore settled on a $7.25 million deal, a source confirmed.

And right-hander Tyler Wells, who returned in 2025 after a lengthy recovery from elbow surgery, agreed to a contract worth about $2.45 million, two sources said. Shane Baz, the right-hander whom the Orioles acquired from the Rays in a trade, also reached a deal to avoid arbitration. A source said it was worth $3.5 million, as ESPN first reported.

The ninth player to agree to a deal prior to the deadline was right-hander Yennier Cano, at $1.6 million, according to a source confirming MASN’s report. Cano took a step back in 2025 with a 5.12 ERA out of the bullpen.

Baltimore will exchange salary figures with right-hander Kyle Bradish and left-hander Keegan Akin ahead of potential arbitration hearings, although negotiations may continue.

The Orioles and Bradish have a gap of $675,000, a source said. Baltimore filed at $2.875 million, and Bradish filed at $3.55 million. A source also said Akin filed at $3.375 million while the Orioles filed at $2.975 million. MLB.com first reported those values.

Baltimore entered Thursday with 11 arbitration-eligible players awaiting contracts. In November, when the Orioles announced whether they intended to tender contracts to those players or release them, the only player to be nontendered was right-hander Albert Suárez. But Suárez re-signed with the Orioles in December on a minor league contract.

One of the major new additions to Baltimore’s arbitration-eligible class of players was Henderson, who hit .274 and stole 30 bases for the first time in his career last year. He considered that a down season, given his .787 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, but Henderson improved his consistency on defense and, at 24, is expected to continue blossoming into a high-level player.

That potential was reflected in his deal. According to a projection from MLB Trade Rumors, Henderson had been expected to receive $6.6 million.

Rogers, Akin, Ward and Mountcastle are in their final year of arbitration eligibility before free agency. Rutschman, Kremer and Wells will remain under team control in 2027, too. And Bradish, Henderson, Cano and Baz are under team control through 2028.

The arbitration filing deadline is a soft deadline of sorts. If teams and players don’t settle on a salary by Thursday, they’ll exchange preferred salary figures and wait about a month before an arbiter chooses one value or the other based on arguments from both sides. However, teams and player representatives can negotiate before an arbitration hearing.

The Orioles generally follow a “file-and-trial” method, but they’ve broken from that to settle before a hearing if they can add an option year on top of the one-year contract.

The arbitration system allows players with more than three years and fewer than six years of service time to receive annual salary increases based on performance and experience.

If a team agrees to a contract prior to an arbitration hearing, that contract value is guaranteed. But, if the arbitration board settles the case for the player and team, the team could cut the player before opening day and pay a termination fee instead of the full contract value.

Rogers is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility after a stalwart campaign. He produced the best season of his career, posting a 1.81 ERA in 109 2/3 innings. If he can maintain something close to that level of dominance, Rogers will find himself atop Baltimore’s rotation with Bradish.

Bradish’s return from elbow surgery midway through the season also went well, although it remains to be seen how tight a leash the Orioles will keep on Bradish this year to maintain his long-term health. In 32 innings, Bradish recorded a 2.53 ERA. According to MLB Trade Rumors’ projections, Bradish is estimated to earn $2.8 million in 2026; Rogers’ projection was $6 million (and he received $6.2 million). Even without a contract agreed to Thursday, Bradish is set to hold a major role on the pitching staff.

Rutschman has scuffled at the plate for the better part of a year and a half, but he brought value as a defensive catcher. Injuries, including two stints on the injured list for lat strains, hampered his production in 2025. He finished with a .220 average and .673 OPS.

There were questions whether the Orioles would tender Mountcastle a contract last month, and the signing of first baseman Pete Alonso will further limit Mountcastle’s playing time. The deal he agreed to Thursday doesn’t close the door on a trade.

This article has been updated.