The Baltimore Orioles finished 79-82 in 2026 and missed the playoffs for a second straight year. After winning the AL East in 2023, Baltimore now has to make up ground in a division that had three teams in the postseason this year. Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias acknowledged after the season that the results need to improve.
One team Baltimore must catch is also the division's lowest spender. The Tampa Bay Rays went 98-64, then beat Cleveland in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Monday to reach the World Series. New York made the playoffs as well, while Boston took an AL Wild Card spot.
Baseball's next labor agreement could change the financial picture in the AL East. Major League Baseball proposed a $245.3 million payroll cap and a $171.2 million floor for 2027. Under that plan, clubs above the cap would have to reduce spending and those below the floor would have to raise it.
MLB's Opening Day example listed Tampa Bay among teams below the floor and New York and Toronto above the cap. Baltimore appeared on neither list. Spotrac's 2026 payroll tracker puts the Orioles at $167.0 million, 17th in baseball and only about $4.2 million shy of the proposed floor. Tampa Bay ranked 28th at $95.6 million, roughly $75.6 million below it.
If a similar floor became part of the new agreement, Baltimore would not need to add much spending to clear that mark. The reigning AL champions would face a much larger jump. The Rays won 19 more regular-season games than the Orioles in 2026 while spending about $71.4 million less by Spotrac's measure.
There is a potential benefit for Baltimore at the other end. Spotrac lists the New York Yankees at $308.3 million and the Toronto Blue Jays at $276.1 million in 2026 payroll. A simple comparison puts them about $63.0 million and $30.8 million above the proposed cap.
A ceiling on those rivals could give the Orioles a better chance to compete for players and close a spending gap with New York. But the same system could require Tampa Bay to put considerably more money into an already successful roster. Toronto's high payroll did not produce a playoff berth in 2026, but the Blue Jays dealt with injuries and down years after the 2025 pennant.
Rosters and contracts can also change before any new rules take effect, and Baltimore still has its own work to do. Elias has pointed to the need for better results from a group that includes Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday as its core. A floor so close to the Orioles' 2026 payroll would do little by itself to address that need. More productive spending would matter more than clearing a minimum.
The MLB Players Association opposes a cap system, and no cap or floor has been agreed to. For now, Baltimore needs to build a team capable of beating the Rays, regardless of how much the Yankees and Blue Jays are allowed to spend.