The Orioles are letting rival golf equipment know that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is offered in commerce talks, in keeping with a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Right now. There’s no indication that Baltimore is especially near transferring Mountcastle, and now that the common season has begun it wouldn’t be a shock if talks have been largely tabled till nearer to the commerce deadline.
Mountcastle, 28, was a first-round decide by the Orioles again in 2015 and a consensus top-100 prospect previous to his large league debut in 2020. The slugger obtained down-ballot Rookie of the Yr votes in each 2020 and ’21 as he hit a mixed .270/.324/.488 with 38 homers and 28 doubles in 179 video games throughout the 2 seasons. That explosive begin to Mountcastle’s MLB profession didn’t final, nevertheless, as he’s not slugged 30 homers in a season since 2021 and noticed his on a regular basis enjoying time in Baltimore erode considerably following the breakout season Ryan O’Hearn loved in 2023. Because the begin of the 2022 marketing campaign, Mountcastle has seemed the a part of a stable if unspectacular common. He’s slashed .262/.312/.431 with 53 homers and 80 doubles in 387 video games whereas enjoying typically enough protection at first base.
Total, Mountcastle is clearly a precious participant however one that appears like an more and more questionable match on the Orioles’ roster. As beforehand talked about, O’Hearn has come into his personal since breaking out in Baltimore throughout the 2023 season, and his .276/.329/.449 slash line in 257 video games with the Orioles signifies that he’s truly outproduced Mountcastle on a price foundation in that point. If O’Hearn was the one participant competing with Mountcastle for time on the scorching nook, maybe that wouldn’t be price exploring a commerce over. In spite of everything, the right-handed hitting Mountcastle serves as a powerful complement for the lefty-swinging O’Hearn, who has been closely platooned all through his profession and doesn’t hit nicely towards fellow southpaws.
Mountcastle’s long-term slot in Baltimore is additional sophisticated by the presence of Coby Mayo. The Orioles’ high prospect is a consensus top-30 expertise within the sport, and he’s clearly prepared for a correct large league audition even after struggling badly in a 17-game cup of espresso final 12 months given his profession .276/.373/.536 slash line at Triple-A. Very similar to Mountcastle himself, the 23-year-old Mayo profiles greatest as a primary baseman on the large league stage regardless of arising by the minors as a 3rd baseman. There merely isn’t sufficient room for all of Mountcastle, Mayo, and O’Hearn within the membership’s first base plans, and whereas occasional time at DH or within the nook outfield spots may assist the membership higher allocate enjoying time these spots are already crowded by the presence of Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, and Heston Kjerstad to not point out Ramon Laureano.
With such a deep group of nook outfield and DH choices already, it appears probably {that a} commerce opening up time at first base represents Mayo’s greatest path to common enjoying time in Baltimore outdoors of an damage on the large league stage. Of the membership’s different two first base choices, Mountcastle makes essentially the most sense to buy given the truth that Mayo is a fellow right-handed hitter, that means he would function a powerful complement to O’Hearn the identical manner Mountcastle has over the previous two seasons. Mayo wouldn’t have the ability to slide into O’Hearn’s function alongside Mountcastle anyplace close to as simply, with the 2 right-handed hitters probably proving considerably redundant even when O’Hearn was now not within the combine.
If Mountcastle is certainly on the commerce block, he’d be a beautiful addition for loads of groups. The 28-year-old is managed by the top of the 2026 season, and whereas he’s largely restricted defensively to first base and DH he ought to nonetheless be an intriguing potential addition for golf equipment in want of right-handed thump within the lineup. A closely left-handed lineup like that of the Tigers may certainly profit from the presence of a participant like Mountcastle, particularly if Spencer Torkelson can’t keep his scorching begin and stays a query mark this 12 months. The Diamondbacks, Twins, Giants, and Padres are among the many different golf equipment for whom Mountcastle could possibly be an improve, although with 4 months till the commerce deadline there’s nonetheless loads of time for the wants of golf equipment throughout the league to vary and impression Mountcastle’s market if the Orioles are set on transferring him.
