BALTIMORE -- Since becoming the control owner of the Orioles in March 2024, David Rubenstein's jovial personality has shone through when discussing the team in public settings. Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards -- where the O's held a press conference to discuss Shane Baz's five-year, $68 million extension -- wasn't any different.
Rubenstein pointed out how Baltimore is 1-0 since Baz joined the team in a Dec. 19 trade. The 76-year-old private equity billionaire noted how Baz's dad, Raj, and outfielder Tyler O'Neill (one of the many players in attendance) both have the physiques of bodybuilders.
"It makes me feel very weak when I’m standing next to you, but I’m going to try to do some exercising today and get a little more muscular," Rubenstein told them.
But when it was time to get serious, Rubenstein made the types of comments every fan wants to hear.
The Orioles have spent money rapidly over the past seven-plus months, signing catcher Samuel Basallo (eight years, $67 million) and Baz to extensions and landing star first baseman Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million) in free agency. Are more long-term contracts for core players in the cards?
"We are open for business, of course. We’re interested in doing the best we can for the team, and whatever [president of baseball operations] Mike [Elias] thinks is the best for the team, that’s what we’re going to do," Rubenstein said. "We have the resources necessary to do this with others who are interested in this. So sure, we’re open for business. It has to make sense for the player, and it has to make sense for the team. But we’re certainly all ears."
This is much different from the past in Baltimore. The O's have inked three of the six largest contracts in franchise history since Aug. 22, with Baz's becoming the largest deal given to a pitcher by the organization.
Elias, who took over the Orioles' baseball operations department in November 2018, spent the couple of years prior to Rubenstein's arrival often fielding questions about contract extensions. He consistently said potential conversations would only take place behind the scenes, as he doesn't find it beneficial to talk about such matters publicly -- and that's still the case.
"We’re always looking for opportunities to line up with our guys," Elias said.
But Elias is always praising Rubenstein's group and the increased financial flexibility they have allowed for.
"They’re very serious. They believe in this franchise and this city and this market and doing everything that they can to elevate the franchise," Elias said. "We’ve been bold in free agency and with contracts, but also, a tremendous amount of infrastructure investment behind the scenes. It’s been really invigorating having that, and they’re extremely helpful."
Rubenstein openly admits he isn't the expert when it comes to baseball transactions. But he believes he has somebody who is in Elias, MLB's 2023 Executive of the Year Award winner who undertook a significant rebuild in Baltimore and turned the O's into a team that made the postseason in '23 and '24.
As the Orioles consider more contract extensions, Rubenstein and his group will continue yielding to Elias.
"What we’ve told Mike is he’s the expert in baseball talent, and he’s got a lot more experience than [ownership partner] Mike Arougheti or I do," Rubenstein said. "We will be willing to back him financially to whatever he thinks makes sense, and so, we’ve done that. I don’t think we’ve turned down any of his requests. ... We want to do as much as we can to make this team a championship team and make Baltimore proud of the team we’ve put on the field."
O's players surely love to see the support. They want to win, and they want to do so in Baltimore.
"You want guys to figure something out that works for them, for sure. We definitely want guys to be here long term to be a part of this group," Basallo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "It would be great to be here with them for a long time."
"It’s just a great culture that they’ve created here," catcher Adley Rutschman said. "Everyone loves where the club’s at right now."
It's also telling how open players are to potential extensions. Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson has said multiple times he'd be open to discussions, including last August, when he stated he'd be "happy to look over" any offer presented to him with his representatives.
More players expressed a similar sentiment on Saturday.
"They know what they want this team to look like, and if I’m a part of it, I’m all for it," Opening Day starter Trevor Rogers said. "They know how I feel about this place."
"If that’s something that the team is open to doing, then yeah, I would definitely listen," outfielder Colton Cowser said. "It seems like David and Mike and the ownership group is really letting the other Mike do his thing and using his room of experts up there doing what they can to further better this team. ...
"It's a city that loves baseball, loves the Orioles, loves the Ravens. Whenever you don't play well, they'll let you know about it. But when you're playing really well, they continue to show up and show their support. So, I think it's something that players want to play in front of fans who are passionate, and this city provides that, as well as just a first-class organization when it comes to treating their players well."