BALTIMORE — Left-hander Danny Coulombe and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $2.3 million, one-year contract on Monday that avoided a salary arbitration hearing.
Baltimore has a $4 million option for 2025 with no buyout as part of the agreement, and the option price could escalate to $4,925,000 based on games pitched this year: $100,000 for 50, $50,000 for each game from 51-55, $55,000 apiece for 56-60 and $60,000 each for 61-65.
His agreement was at the midpoint of the $2.4 million he had asked for and the $2.2 million Baltimore had offered when the sides exchanged proposed arbitration salaries on Jan. 11.
Coulombe, 34, was 5-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 61 relief appearances last year, striking out 58 and walking 12 in 51 1/3 innings.
A veteran of parts of nine major league seasons, Coulombe has a 15-9 record with a 3.69 ERA in 254 relief appearances and one start for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2015-18), Minnesota Twins (2020-22) and Orioles.
Baltimore remains scheduled for hearings with right-hander Jacob Webb ($1 million vs. $925,000), outfielder Austin Hays ($6.3 million vs. $5.85 million) and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn ($3.8 million vs. $3.2 million).
The Orioles previously reached agreements with outfielders Anthony Santander ($11.7 million) and Cedric Mullins ($6,325,000); first baseman Ryan Mountcastle ($4,137,000); left-handers John Means ($3,325,000), Cole Irvin ($2 million) and Cionel Pérez ($1.2 million); right-handers Tyler Wells ($1,962,500) and Dillon Tate ($1.5 million); and infielder Ramón Urías ($2.1 million).