The Orioles have avoided arbitration with first baseman/outfielder/DH Mark Trumbo, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Trumbo will earn $9.15MM for the coming season, per the report, before reaching free agency next winter.
That number comes in just north of the $9.1MM figure projected last fall by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz. Trumbo’s big power numbers have always played well in arbitration, and he earned a solid raise over his $6.9MM salary from a year ago.
Of course, that rather expensive arb rate is a major reason that the O’s were able to acquire the 30-year-old at a palatable rate earlier in the offseason. He came to Baltimore from the Mariners along with C.J. Riefenhauser in exchange for catcher Steve Clevenger.
There’s no denying Trumbo’s pop. Though he’s tailed off a bit in the last two years, he averaged 32 long balls a year over 2011-13. Of course, that comes with a high whiff rate and low on-base numbers, as Trumbo owns a lifetime .250/.300/.458 slash line. After a down year in 2014, he put up a cumulative .262/.319/.449 batting line and 22 home runs with the M’s and the Diamondbacks.
It remains to be seen how Baltimore will deploy Trumbo, but he’s generally considered a poor defender in the corner outfield and at third. He has, however, posted positive metrics at first base, and that’s probably where he’d line up if the season began today. If the O’s re-sign Chris Davis, they could shift Trumbo into primary DH duty, but it’s worth noting that both players offer some positional flexibility.
It seems like a lot of early arb avoidance numbers are coming in just a hair above the MLBTR estimates. Coincidence, or is added revenue making teams less pushy about that last 100/200k?
Just wait. Let’s see how the Orioles dugout takes to his off-color verbal rants.