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The Baltimore Orioles opened the 1985 season paying $11,560,712 to 22 players and closed 2016 at $161,863,456 across 29 players, a 14.0× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Chris Davis’s $21,268,890 in 2016.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 22 | $11,560,712 | $525,487 | $497,917 | Eddie Murray ($1.5M) |
| 1986 | 29 | $13,001,258 | $448,319 | $400,000 | Fred Lynn ($1.2M) |
| 1987 | 30 | $13,900,273 | $463,342 | $303,750 | Eddie Murray ($2M) |
| 1988 | 27 | $13,532,075 | $501,188 | $300,000 | Eddie Murray ($2.1M) |
| 1989 | 26 | $8,275,167 | $318,276 | $150,000 | Cal Ripken ($2.5M) |
| 1990 | 37 | $9,680,084 | $261,624 | $155,000 | Cal Ripken ($1.3M) |
| 1991 | 31 | $17,519,000 | $565,129 | $250,000 | Glenn Davis ($3.3M) |
| 1992 | 33 | $23,780,667 | $720,626 | $365,000 | Glenn Davis ($3.4M) |
| 1993 | 32 | $29,096,500 | $909,266 | $328,750 | Cal Ripken ($5.2M) |
| 1994 | 31 | $38,849,769 | $1,253,218 | $550,000 | Cal Ripken ($5.5M) |
| 1995 | 37 | $43,942,521 | $1,187,636 | $415,000 | Cal Ripken ($6.7M) |
| 1996 | 32 | $54,490,315 | $1,702,822 | $675,000 | Cal Ripken ($6.7M) |
| 1997 | 29 | $58,516,400 | $2,017,807 | $1,100,000 | Cal Ripken ($6.8M) |
| 1998 | 30 | $72,355,634 | $2,411,854 | $1,498,248 | Mike Mussina ($6.8M) |
| 1999 | 35 | $80,605,863 | $2,303,025 | $800,000 | Albert Belle ($11.9M) |
| 2000 | 29 | $81,447,435 | $2,808,532 | $1,750,000 | Albert Belle ($12.9M) |
| 2001 | 29 | $67,599,540 | $2,331,019 | $1,200,000 | Albert Belle ($12M) |
| 2002 | 32 | $60,493,487 | $1,890,421 | $300,000 | Albert Belle ($12.4M) |
| 2003 | 29 | $73,877,500 | $2,547,500 | $1,200,000 | Albert Belle ($13M) |
| 2004 | 28 | $51,623,333 | $1,843,690 | $887,500 | David Segui ($7M) |
| 2005 | 28 | $73,914,333 | $2,639,798 | $962,500 | Sammy Sosa ($17M) |
| 2006 | 28 | $72,585,582 | $2,592,342 | $1,512,500 | Miguel Tejada ($11.8M) |
| 2007 | 27 | $93,174,808 | $3,450,919 | $3,000,000 | Miguel Tejada ($13.8M) |
| 2008 | 32 | $67,196,246 | $2,099,883 | $477,500 | Aubrey Huff ($8M) |
| 2009 | 26 | $67,101,666 | $2,580,833 | $1,500,000 | Aubrey Huff ($8M) |
| 2010 | 26 | $81,612,500 | $3,138,942 | $1,325,000 | Kevin Millwood ($12M) |
| 2011 | 26 | $85,304,038 | $3,280,925 | $1,425,000 | Nick Markakis ($10.6M) |
| 2012 | 28 | $77,353,999 | $2,762,643 | $1,275,000 | Nick Markakis ($12.3M) |
| 2013 | 26 | $84,393,333 | $3,245,897 | $1,710,000 | Nick Markakis ($15.3M) |
| 2014 | 28 | $103,416,000 | $3,693,429 | $1,225,000 | Nick Markakis ($15M) |
| 2015 | 28 | $115,044,833 | $4,108,744 | $3,200,000 | Adam Jones ($13.3M) |
| 2016 | 29 | $161,863,456 | $5,581,498 | $2,800,000 | Chris Davis ($21.3M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Davis | $21,268,890 | 2016 (BAL) |
| 2 | Sammy Sosa | $17,000,000 | 2005 (BAL) |
| 3 | Adam Jones | $16,329,674 | 2016 (BAL) |
| 4 | Wade Miley | $16,329,674 | 2016 (BAL) |
| 5 | Matt Wieters | $15,800,000 | 2016 (BAL) |
| 6 | Nick Markakis | $15,350,000 | 2013 (BAL) |
| 7 | Nick Markakis | $15,000,000 | 2014 (BAL) |
| 8 | Miguel Tejada | $13,811,415 | 2007 (BAL) |
| 9 | Adam Jones | $13,333,333 | 2015 (BAL) |
| 10 | Albert Belle | $13,000,000 | 2003 (BAL) |
| 11 | Adam Jones | $13,000,000 | 2014 (BAL) |
| 12 | Albert Belle | $12,868,670 | 2000 (BAL) |
| 13 | Ubaldo Jimenez | $12,673,102 | 2016 (BAL) |
| 14 | Albert Belle | $12,368,790 | 2002 (BAL) |
| 15 | Nick Markakis | $12,350,000 | 2012 (BAL) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: Baltimore Orioles. Amounts are nominal US dollars exactly as recorded, with no inflation adjustment, because a deflator is an editorial choice and this archive refuses to invent one. The Lahman Salaries table was last updated for 2016, so nothing here reaches the current season.
The franchise’s heaviest recorded payroll was the 2016 season at $161,863,456 across 29 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.