Playoff teams rarely populate the bottom third of payrolls in baseball, but this past season the Tampa Bay Rays ranked 30th in spending and the Oakland Athletics ranked 25th, according to Spotrac. The Rays and Athletics earned wild-card spots in the American League.
The Baltimore Orioles, meanwhile, ranked 28th in payroll at about $73 million. First baseman Chris Davis, designated hitter Mark Trumbo and right-hander Alex Cobb represented much of that payroll. Trumbo's contract has expired, but Davis and Cobb will still take up a big chunk of the 2020 payroll.
So, that word "sifting" in the headline -- that is exactly how the Orioles as presently constituted will look through a pool of about 230 free agents. They cannot afford to spend excessively at a time when they are not ready to win.
