Kenneth Teape
There may not be a team in the sport that has a core as deep and talented as the Orioles, who should have one of the best offenses in the game for years to come.
Anchoring that group is shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who has already ascended to MVP-level performance in only his second full year as a Major Leaguer. Adley Rutschman is among the best catchers in the game.
Adding to the foundation is outfielder Colton Cowser, who finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race in 2024 and Jordan Westburg, who was an All-Star in his rookie campaign.
There is a lot more talent on the way, too.
Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball last year, is set to be the starting second baseman in 2025. Catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the farm system and No. 13 in baseball.
The only Baltimore player ahead of him is corner infielder Coby Mayo, who comes in at No. 8 in baseball.
Only 23 years old and with impressive showings in the Minor Leagues, the third baseman/first baseman was named the most MLB-ready prospect in the organization by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.
May’s cup of coffee with the O’s wasn’t anything to write home about — 4-for-41 with 22 strikeouts. But most rookies struggle. Holliday did last season, too. But, Mayo’s Triple-A numbers we impressive last year, especially the power — 23 doubles, 22 home runs and 67 RBI in 89 games.
Reuter writes that Mayo has “nothing left to prove” in the minor leagues.
Last year’s debut hasn’t changed how the Orioles view their talented infielder. Despite being involved in plenty of trade talks this offseason, they have not been willing to include him in any deals.
Given how much hitting talent they already have, they should think long and hard about including Mayo if it means bringing aboard a bonafide ace, such as Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners or Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
Pitching is what the team needs most and they should be willing to dip into their strength to fill that void. Adding an ace to replace Corbin Burnes would certainly help keep them on par with the other contenders.
If they don’t want to move on from him, sparking trade talks centered around Ryan Mountcastle again would make a lot of sense so an everyday role can be cleared for their top prospect.
Something will have to give sooner rather than later, as Basallo needs a spot in the lineup as well and is cross-training at first base, along with catcher. Finding playing time for all of these players, and being able to afford paying them all down th ero, will be difficult.
All of those players still have a high value. Trading one could go a long way toward relieving the logjam.