The Baltimore Orioles are heading into the offseason with hopes of building upon what has been a strong couple of years for the organization.
After years of struggling and rebuilding, the Orioles have done a really nice job building a talented young group of players that resulted in a lot of wins the last two seasons.
With playoff appearances in back-to-back years, Baltimore is now trying to take the next step toward being a World Series contender. The jump from being a playoff team to a champion is often not easy to make, and a lot of teams never accomplish it.
However, this Orioles team is filled with young players who are playing very well and should be around for quite some time. If Baltimore plays their cards right, they could have stars like Gunnar Henderson leading the team for over a decade.
As the team looks to improve this winter, making some trades will likely occur. Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report spoke about Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle as the most likely player to be traded.
“The Orioles had all the trappings of a trade-deadline buyer in July, so it was a surprise when they were reported to be willing to listen on Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle. It’s conceivable that Baltimore’s ears will be open on both again this winter. Arbitration is starting to make them a little pricey, with Mullins projected for $8.7 million and Mountcastle for $6.6 million. Meanwhile, the O’s have a surplus of bats and a shortage of arms.”
Even though the first baseman is a very good player for Baltimore, they have a lot of good bats and could use a few arms in the starting rotation and bullpen.
Last winter, the Orioles pulled off a major deal to acquire Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. With a really talented farm system, especially on offense, flipping some bats for pitching makes sense.
In addition to moving Mountcastle for an arm, it would help clear the way for Coby Mayo to have a starting spot in the big leagues. Mayo is the latest top prospect for Baltimore who is set to debut, and he will be pushing for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
While the slugging first baseman has been very good for Baltimore, it might behoove the team to explore some trades to teams that are in need of a right-handed hitter with some pop.
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