The Baltimore Orioles are looking to get back to the playoffs in 2025 and avenge a disappointing Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Royals last season.
While doing that, they could be looking to get a little bit younger in the middle of the lineup.
Ryan Mountcastle has been a mainstay at first base and in the middle of the order for the Orioles, but his time with the team could be coming to an end.
Triple-A corner infielder Coby Mayo has emerged as a star in the minors, and Mountcastle could soon be moved to make room for the 23-year old according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“The Baltimore Orioles are letting teams know that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is available in a potential trade to clear a spot for Coby Mayo,” Nightengale wrote.
Despite coming into the league in just 2020, Mountcastle has been on somewhat of a decline in recent years.
He crushed 33 home runs in 2021 but has failed to even approach that mark since and is coming off of a 2024 season where he hit just 13 home runs in 124 games.
Mountcastle is just 1-for-9 in three games this season as the Orioles seek a series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
On the other hand, Mayo is currently the No. 2-rated prospect in the Orioles’ system.
He has been in the minor leagues for the majority of his career since 2021 and has a .918 OPS with 82 home runs in that time.
Mayo played in 17 games for the Orioles in 2024 and struggled, but the team is clearly confident that he will be able to put that behind him if he were to get called up again this season.
He had 41 at-bats in those 17 games and recorded just four hits, all singles, while striking out 22 times.
If Mayo ends up panning out, he provides the Orioles with a cheaper alternative at first base who also has the versatility to play third if needed.
A Mountcastle trade could also net them valuable assets to help fill out the roster elsewhere.
Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate.
