Orioles and reliever Yennier Cano agree to $7.5 million contract for 2027-28

By: Ian Nicholas Quillen, The Associated Press Posted: 6:52 PM CDT Friday, Jul. 31, 2026 Last Modified: 5:17 PM CDT Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Relief pitcher Yennier Cano and the Baltimore Orioles agreed Friday to a $7.5 million, two-year contract for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, a deal that includes a $10 million club option for 2029.

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Cano agreed in January to a $1.6 million, one-year contract and the new deal calls for salaries of $2.75 million next year and $4.75 million in 2028, which would have been his last season of arbitration eligibility under the current collective bargaining agreement.

Baltimore has a $10 million club option for 2029 that can escalate by an additional $3 million based on games finished in 2028: $1 million for 25 and $500,000 for each additional five through 45.

Baltimore Orioles' Yennier Cano delivers in the seventh inning during the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

“Yennier has been outstanding for us both on and off the field since his arrival in 2022,” Orioles president Mike Elias said in a statement. “He has blossomed into one of the game’s most reliable and consistent relief pitchers. We are proud of all the hard work he has put in alongside our development team and are pleased he and his family will remain in Baltimore.”

The 32-year-old right-hander from Cuba has been arguably the Orioles’ best reliever this season, entering Friday with a 2.21 ERA and one save in 48 appearances.

Acquired in the 2022 trade that sent right-hander Jorge López to the Minnesota Twins, Cano earned All-Star honors with the Orioles in 2023 while pitching to a 2.11 ERA in 72 outings.

He is 11-17 with a 3.78 ERA and 16 saves in 268 career games, all but 10 of those coming with Baltimore.

The deal continues an Orioles trend of signing players already on the major league roster to multiyear contracts since David Rubenstein took over as controlling owner in March 2024. Most recently, right-handed starter Kyle Bradish received a $90 million, five-year deal covering 2027-2031, which was announced July 18.

Baltimore catcher Samuel Basallo agreed to a $67 million, eight-year deal last August and right-hander Shane Baz to a $68 million, five-year contract in March.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb