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Ryan Mountcastle

Orioles Notes: Eflin, Bradish, Wells, Mountcastle

By Steve Adams | August 18, 2025 at 12:19pm CDT

The Orioles announced this morning that right-hander Zach Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. The season-ending back surgery was announced last week, and this morning’s procedure went as expected, per the team. Eflin is hopeful of having a “normal” offseason after about 12 weeks, but recovery from this type of procedure can take anywhere from four to eight months. Every instance is different, of course, and there’s no real way to tell just how long Eflin will be down until he begins the rehab process.

This was a disaster season for the 31-year-old Eflin, who’s been limited to 14 starts and 71 1/3 innings by a lat strain and this back issue — an injury he revealed has bothered him on and off for several years. He posted a dismal 5.93 ERA when on the field — miles away from the 3.54 mark he posted in 343 innings for the Rays and Orioles during the first two seasons of his current three-year, $40MM contract (2023-24).

Eflin said last week that he was very open to a return to the Orioles. Whether the team pursue that option remains to be seen, but the O’s will clearly be in the market for arms this offseason. Eflin is a free agent, as is righty Tomoyuki Sugano. Fellow right-hander Charlie Morton was traded to the Tigers (and is a free agent at season’s end, too). Grayson Rodriguez won’t pitch this season after undergoing a debridement procedure in his elbow. The O’s have Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Brandon Young all controlled through next year. Righties Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish can hopefully contribute down the stretch after they wrap up their rehab from last year’s UCL procedures, but a return to full health and prior levels of performance can’t simply be assumed.

Bradish, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, is expected to make one final rehab start before he returns from what will end up being about a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery. He’s made five minor league starts and pitched to a 4.67 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 17 1/3 innings thus far. Wells, who had internal brace surgery around the same time as Bradish had his own operation, has made four rehab starts and pitched 13 innings of 2.03 ERA ball with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates to those of his teammate (28.3%, 7.5%). Bradish is controlled three more years beyond the current season. Wells is controlled for two more years.

Elsewhere on the roster, Ryan Mountcastle is facing some roster uncertainty of his own. The longtime Baltimore first baseman missed more than two months with a hamstring injury, and he returned to a very different roster. The O’s sold off veterans Morton, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the trade deadline. Prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo are now getting legitimate auditions to show they can be long-term contributors at Camden Yards.

The presence of both Mayo and Basallo has and will continue to cut into Mountcastle’s playing time. The 28-year-old Mountcastle chatted with Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner about his reduced role, stating that he took it in stride and will be eager to help Mayo or Basallo with any questions or insight they might seek down the stretch. “Whatever they need, whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do it,” Mountcastle said.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino told Kostka that he’ll try his best to be “creative” and get at-bats for Mayo, Basallo, Mountcastle and catcher Adley Rutschman to the extent possible. Basallo will be backing up Rutschman behind the plate but also factor in at first base and designated hitter — Mountcastle’s two positions.

From a bigger-picture standpoint, it’s increasingly fair to wonder about Mountcastile’s future outlook with the team. He’s eligible for arbitration for the final time this winter and will get a raise north of $7MM. He’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season. The O’s, as previously mentioned, are going to need to invest in the rotation this winter and, in Mayo and Basallo, now have younger pre-arbitration options to step in at first base and DH. It’s easy enough to see Mountcastle being traded or, depending on how he finishes, perhaps even non-tendered.

Mountcastle struggled tremendously prior to landing on the injured list, hitting just .246/.280/.348 in exactly 200 plate appearances before his injury. He’s had limited playing time but looked excellent upon his return. He hit .387/.486/.806 in nine rehab games (31 plate appearances) and, since returning, is 8-for-29 with two homers, a double, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. He’s slashing .276/.333/.517 in his first 33 plate appearances back on the big league roster and has even stolen a pair of bases (despite stealing just three in each of the past two seasons).

So far, anyway, the hamstring looks to be rehabilitated, and Mountcastle looks far better than he did early on. It bears reminding that from 2021-24, Mountcastle was a key factor in a terrific Baltimore lineup, hitting .260/.312/.447 with 86 home runs, 102 doubles and five triples. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s beat up left-handed pitching throughout his career and turned in slightly better-than-average results versus righties. He’s also a sound defensive first baseman. With a 2026 salary likely in the vicinity of $8MM, Mountcastle could be a nice short-term pickup for a team looking for a stopgap option at first base — if the Orioles elect to go with their up-and-coming bats at the position.

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Baltimore Orioles Coby Mayo Kyle Bradish Ryan Mountcastle Samuel Basallo Tyler Wells Zach Eflin

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Orioles Sign Greg Allen To Major League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2025 at 3:00pm CDT

The Orioles announced that they have signed outfielder Greg Allen to a major league deal. A roster spot was vacated earlier when infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján was claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Allen had been with the Cubs on a minor league deal but was released a few days ago, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The O’s also reinstated first baseman Ryan Mountcastle from the 60-day injured list and recalled outfielder Jordyn Adams. Those two will take the spots of outfielders Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill. Cowser has been placed on the seven-day concussion IL, retroactive to August 7, and O’Neill on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 6, due to right wrist inflammation. The O’s had 40-man vacancies for Mountcastle, so no corresponding move was required in that regard.

Allen has been playing fairly well for Triple-A Iowa this year, with a .270/.355/.440 line and 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances. He also stole 11 bases while playing all three outfield positions. Given that solid performance, it’s possible he opted out of that pact, rather than simply being released.

Regardless, the result is he gets an opportunity with the O’s. He has had big league chances before but without much success, having slashed .231/.300/.340 in 828 plate appearances from 2017 to 2023. However, he stole 48 bases in that time and got some strong marks for his glovework in the outfield.

The O’s opened up some playing time in their outfield recently. Ahead of the deadline, they traded both Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn to the Padres, in addition to flipping Cedric Mullins to the Mets. Calling up Heston Kjerstad would have made sense but he’s been shut down due to fatigue, per Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner.

Lately, Coswer, O’Neill, Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson have been sharing the outfield time. With Cowser and O’Neill now heading to the IL, Allen and Adams give them some other outfielders who can factor into the mix. Allen is out of options, so if the O’s want to remove him from the active roster at any point, he would need to be removed from the 40-man entirely.

As for Mountcastle, he’s looking to put a nice finish on what has otherwise been an awful year. He hit .246/.280/.348 in 52 games before a hamstring strain sent him to the IL at the end of May. The O’s can retain him for 2026 via arbitration but he likely needs to show them something good down the stretch for that to be a possibility. He is already making $6.787M this year. His results this year will hurt his earning power but he would be due at least a nominal raise.

He came into this year with a career .265/.316/.450 batting line and 111 wRC+. If he can hit like that for a few weeks, perhaps the O’s will bring him back next year. He’s in the designated hitter spot tonight with Coby Mayo playing first base.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

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Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Transactions Colton Cowser Greg Allen Jordyn Adams Ryan Mountcastle Tyler O'Neill

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Elias: Orioles’ Trade Talks Focused On Players “Towards The End Of Their Contracts”

By Steve Adams | July 20, 2025 at 10:01pm CDT

The Orioles managed to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Rays earlier today but are still 10 games under .500 with a -99 run differential. They’re 13.5 games out of first place in the American League East and 8.5 games back of an AL Wild Card spot — with seven teams they’d need to leapfrog to get there. They already traded righty Bryan Baker to the Rays earlier in the month, and general manager Mike Elias suggested in an interview on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that further players are likely to be shipped out. The GM made clear, however, that he’s focused on trading short-term pieces and not players who are under club control well beyond the current season.

“When we’re at this point in the standings and 11 days away from the trade deadline, we’ve got to be realistic about our situation,” Elias said. “The conversations I’m having right now are more oriented toward what’s out there for some of our available major league players. We’re not blowing up the team. We think we’re going to be very good again in 2026 and have that intention. We’re not interested in changing the foundation of the team, but to the degree that we have players that interest other clubs, who are coming towards the end of their contracts, we’ve got to listen to that. That’s what we’re spending our time on now.”

Whether it’s Elias who has an aversion to long-term contracts or the two ownership groups under which he’s worked — the Angelos family sold the Orioles to a group led by David Rubenstein prior to the 2024 season — the Orioles don’t have many players signed long-term. Elias has only signed one free agent (Tyler O’Neill) to a multi-year contract and has not brokered extensions with any of the team’s young core. They have a very appealing group of young players who are still controlled via arbitration, but Baltimore’s proclivity for one-year contracts gives them plenty of players to market in the next couple weeks.

First baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins and corner outfielder Ramon Laureano are all in their final guaranteed seasons in Baltimore. (Laureano does have a reasonable $6.5MM club option for 2026). Catcher Gary Sanchez is also on a one-year deal, although he’s likely out until September due to a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

On the pitching side of things, starters Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano are all free agents at season’s end, as are relievers Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez. Right-hander Andrew Kittredge, like Laureano, is on a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season. His is valued at $9MM.

O’Hearn, earning $8MM this season, is hitting .282/.378/.458 with a dozen homers. He’d be one of the best rental bats on the market. Mullins is earning $8.725MM and hitting just .218/.300/.4o5 with 13 homers and 14 steals, but he’s one of very few center field options who could be available. The resurgent Laureano is having a career-best year at the plate, hitting .276/.340/.498 through 247 plate appearances while earning just a $4MM salary.

Eflin has been out for nearly a month due to a back injury, which presumably contributed to him surrendering 17 runs in his final nine innings before being placed on the injured list. That ugly stretch ballooned his ERA all the way to 5.95, but he had a 4.08 mark prior to that stretch and is coming off a 2023-24 run in which he tossed 343 innings with a 3.54 ERA and terrific strikeout/walk rates. He’s making $18MM this season. Eflin has posted a 1.50 ERA in three minor league rehab starts, and he told Jake Rill of MLB.com yesterday that he feels like he’s ready to rejoin the rotation.

Morton’s struggles earlier this season were in many ways emblematic of the team’s struggles as a whole. He’s righted the ship after being dropped to the bullpen for a few weeks, though. While the 41-year-old righty is still sporting a grisly 5.58 ERA, he has a 3.47 mark in his past 47 innings. Morton was trounced for seven runs in his most recent outing versus Tampa Bay, but he’d pitched 51 2/3 innings of 2.61 ERA ball prior to that. Even with the ugly last start, he looks largely back on track, though his $15MM salary is another impediment.

Sugano, 35, is in his first big league season. A longtime star in Japan’s NPB, his year has been the inverse of Morton’s: a terrific start followed by an extended rough patch. Sugano carried a 3.04 ERA into June despite possessing one of the lowest strikeout rates in the sport (14.2%), but his lack of missed bats has caught up to him. He has a 7.94 ERA and has been torched for seven home runs over his past six starts (28 1/3 innings). He’s on a $13MM salary.

The left-handed Soto and right-handed Dominguez both miss plenty of bats and have shaky command, although Soto has his walk rate down to a more passable 10.1% this year. Both average better than 97 mph on their heaters, and their ERAs (3.67 for Soto, 3.72 for Dominguez) are nearly identical. Fielding-independent metrics grade them similarly as well, pegging them both in the mid-3.00s. Soto is making $5.35MM to Dominguez’s $8MM. The 35-year-old Kittredge missed the first two months of the season due to a knee procedure he required during spring training but has been solid since returning: 3.86 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate.

It’s not clear from Elias’ comments whether the Orioles will at least entertain offers on players controlled beyond the current season. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported last week that Elias has at least heard out other teams who’ve called on lefty Trevor Rogers and closer Felix Bautista, but that could be mere due diligence. Bautista, controlled two more seasons via arbitration, would be a particular shock if moved. The Dodgers are among the teams who’ve called, but a deal feels decidedly unlikely.

The O’s have some buy-low bats, but it’s hard to imagine anyone taking on even a portion of O’Neill’s contract when he’s signed through 2027 and hitting just .182/.270/.327. Ryan Mountcastle is an interesting buy-low option, but he hit just .246/.280/.348 before a hamstring tear sent him to the 60-day IL. He’ll begin a rehab assignment soon and could be a non-tender candidate with a poor finish, so perhaps there’s more willingness to listen there. Baltimore’s core seems unlikely to be available in any capacity, however. It’d be a true stunner if any of Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser or Jackson Holliday wound up being seriously discussed.

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Baltimore Orioles Andrew Kittredge Cedric Mullins Charlie Morton Felix Bautista Gary Sanchez Gregory Soto Ramon Laureano Ryan Mountcastle Ryan O'Hearn Seranthony Dominguez Tomoyuki Sugano Trevor Rogers Zach Eflin

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Orioles Select Chadwick Tromp

By Darragh McDonald | June 23, 2025 at 1:30pm CDT

The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of catcher Chadwick Tromp. Fellow catcher Maverick Handley has been placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. Infielder Ryan Mountcastle has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.

Handley’s injury occurred during a scary incident in yesterday’s game against the Yankees, as seen in this video from MLB.com. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. on second base in the second inning, DJ LeMahieu hit a single to left field. With Chisholm trying to score, Colton Cowser came up throwing to the plate but his throw was up the third base line. Handley ran to field the ball and collided with Chisholm, dropping the ball and getting knocked to the ground. Gary Sánchez came into the game to replace him.

Handley had just been recalled to the majors the day prior, with Adley Rutschman landing on the IL due to a left oblique strain. It’s unclear how long the O’s expect Handley to be out of action but it seems like the club will have to go at least a week with both Rutschman and Handley on the shelf.

That has led to Tromp retaking a spot on the roster to share the catching duties with Sánchez. Tromp also spent a few days on the roster at the end of May. At that time, Sánchez was on the IL due to wrist inflammation and Rutschman had a concussion scare of his own. Rutschman was able to return to catching a few days later, which got Tromp bumped off the roster, though he returned to the O’s on a fresh minor league deal.

Tromp has generally been a solid defender behind the plate, with decent offense in the minors but not so much in the majors. From the start of 2022 to the present, he has a .255/.336/.422 line and 100 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. His time in the majors has led to a .219/.229/.375 line and 56 wRC+, though in 166 plate appearances scattered over six different seasons. He is out of options, which led Atlanta to cut him earlier this year. That led Tromp to the O’s, though he’s only been able to get brief roster time in emergencies.

As for Mountcastle, he landed on the 10-day IL at the end of May due to a right hamstring strain. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that he would miss eight to twelve weeks. His 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement, so he can be reinstated at the end of July, though he’s going to be on the shelf past then.

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Chadwick Tromp Maverick Handley Ryan Mountcastle

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Ryan Mountcastle To Miss 8-12 Weeks

By Anthony Franco | June 6, 2025 at 7:14pm CDT

The Orioles will be without first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for 8-12 weeks after imaging revealed a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring, interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill). Baltimore placed him on the 10-day injured list and recalled Coby Mayo last week. Mountcastle’s injury is significant enough that he’ll eventually be moved to the 60-day IL when the team needs to create a 40-man roster spot.

A Grade 2 strain is viewed of “moderate” severity and involves a partial muscle tear. It’s the biggest blow in what has been a frustrating season for the 28-year-old infielder. Mountcastle has hit .246/.280/.348 with only two home runs across 200 plate appearances. Those would be career-worst numbers across the board. Mountcastle has been a slightly better than average hitter for most of his five-year MLB career. Last season’s .271/.308/.425 showing is more representative of his overall body of work.

This very likely takes him off the board as a trade candidate. Even a return at the short end of the timeline would be after the July 31 deadline. Injured players can be traded, but Baltimore would be hard-pressed to find interest between the rough first couple months and the extended absence. Mountcastle is playing on a $6.787MM salary and will surpass the five-year service threshold. He’ll be eligible for arbitration once more next winter, but a projected $7MM+ sum figures to make him a non-tender candidate. That’d be particularly true if the recovery carries towards the back end of the timeline and keeps him out into September.

Ryan O’Hearn has outperformed Mountcastle this season and had already taken the first base job. Mayo has been playing regularly between first base and designated hitter for the past week. The O’s activated Ramón Laureano from the injured list this afternoon. He’s in tonight at DH against A’s lefty JP Sears. Baltimore should also welcome Jordan Westburg and Gary Sánchez back relatively soon. Both players are on rehab stints at Triple-A Norfolk.

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Baltimore Orioles Ryan Mountcastle

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Orioles Place Ryan Mountcastle On 10-Day IL, Recall Coby Mayo

By Mark Polishuk | May 31, 2025 at 1:52pm CDT

The Orioles announced four roster moves Saturday, including the news that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Top infield prospect Coby Mayo has been called up from Triple-A Norfolk, and outfielder Jordyn Adams is also heading up from Triple-A after his contract was selected to Baltimore’s active roster.  To create space on the 40-man roster, catcher Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment.

Mountcastle stole home for what ended up as the winning run in the Orioles’ 2-1 win over the White Sox yesterday, but the first baseman left the game a couple of innings later due to what was described just as discomfort in his hamstring.  The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, as interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters (including Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun) that Mountcastle would be undergoing an MRI today.

Like much of the Orioles roster, Mountcastle has gotten off to a rough start in 2025, with just a .246/.280/.348 slash line to show for 200 plate appearances.  It is a huge dropoff from the generally solid (112 wRC+) production Mountcastle posted over his first five seasons as a regular in the O’s lineup.  Mountcastle has traditionally hit with enough power to overcome subpar walk and strikeout totals, but while his barrel and barrel rates are at his career norms, his Isolated Power is only .102 (far below his .185 career number prior to 2025).

This IL stint could be viewed as a potential reset for Mountcastle’s season in this context, and his absence gives Mayo another shot at establishing himself at the MLB level.  Mayo has been called up for a few limited stints in the majors over the last two seasons, and has hit only .094/.186/.094 over 59 PA against big league pitching.  Even these extreme struggles can be written off as a small sample size, though Mayo’s domination of Triple-A pitching has also fallen off this year, as he has a modest .226/.318/.452 slash over 195 PA in Norfolk.

It is obviously far too soon to write off a player who has gone from being a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft to a fixture on top-100 prospect lists.  Mayo hasn’t gotten much playing time with Baltimore due to the team’s crowded infield, yet perhaps in monkey’s paw fashion, some opportunity has now arisen due to the Orioles’ disastrous start and the swath of injuries that have taken out most of the everyday lineup.

Mountcastle joins Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sanchez, and Ramon Laureano on the long list of Orioles position players on the IL.  Between this group and several pitchers also sidelined, the Orioles haven’t been able to make up the depth in stumbling to a 20-36 record.

Westburg and Cowser are both on Triple-A rehab assignments and could be back in relatively short order.  With Mullins hitting the IL yesterday, however, the Orioles will shore up their outfield by adding Adams, who inked a minor league contract with the team over the offseason.

Adams has hit only .212/.316/.345 in 136 PA at Triple-A this season, and his big league track record consists of a .176/.205/.216 slash line in 78 PA with the Angels over the 2023-24 seasons.  A former first-rounder who received some top-100 attention during his time in the Halos’ farm system, Adams can play all three outfield positions, and is a decent bench option to have on hand until Cowser returns.

Tromp was also a minor league signing in April, and he was selected to the MLB roster earlier this week due to concerns that Adley Rutschman might have required a stint on the seven-day concussion-related IL.  Since Rutschman ended up needing just a couple of days off and Maverick Handley is on hand as the backup catcher, Tromp will now head to DFA limbo after making two in-game appearances during his brief time on Baltimore’s roster.

Tromp has seen at least a little action in each of the last six MLB seasons, appearing in 63 total games with the Giants, Braves, and Orioles from 2020-25.  Tromp is out of minor league options, and thus the O’s had to designate him and expose him to the waiver wire before trying to send him down to Triple-A.  If Tromp clears waivers, he can reject an outright assignment to Triple-A because he has previously been outrighted in his career.  It remains to be seen if Tromp may choose to move on from the Orioles given the crowded depth chart of Rutschman, Handley, and Sanchez, as Tromp may prefer to join a team that has more of a clear path to big league playing time.

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Chadwick Tromp Coby Mayo Jordyn Adams Ryan Mountcastle

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Orioles Reportedly Open To Offers On Ryan Mountcastle

By Nick Deeds | March 30, 2025 at 8:22am CDT

The Orioles are letting rival clubs know that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is available in trade talks, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. There’s no indication that Baltimore is particularly close to moving Mountcastle, and now that the regular season has begun it wouldn’t be a surprise if talks were largely tabled until closer to the trade deadline.

Mountcastle, 28, was a first-round pick by the Orioles back in 2015 and a consensus top-100 prospect prior to his big league debut in 2020. The slugger received down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes in both 2020 and ’21 as he hit a combined .270/.324/.488 with 38 homers and 28 doubles in 179 games across the two seasons. That explosive start to Mountcastle’s MLB career didn’t last, however, as he’s not slugged 30 homers in a season since 2021 and saw his everyday playing time in Baltimore erode somewhat following the breakout season Ryan O’Hearn enjoyed in 2023. Since the start of the 2022 campaign, Mountcastle has looked the part of a solid if unspectacular regular. He’s slashed .262/.312/.431 with 53 homers and 80 doubles in 387 games while playing generally adequate defense at first base.

Overall, Mountcastle is clearly a valuable player but one that looks like an increasingly questionable fit on the Orioles’ roster. As previously mentioned, O’Hearn has come into his own since breaking out in Baltimore during the 2023 season, and his .276/.329/.449 slash line in 257 games with the Orioles indicates that he’s actually outproduced Mountcastle on a rate basis in that time. If O’Hearn was the only player competing with Mountcastle for time at the hot corner, perhaps that wouldn’t be worth exploring a trade over. After all, the right-handed hitting Mountcastle serves as a strong complement for the lefty-swinging O’Hearn, who has been heavily platooned throughout his career and does not hit well against fellow southpaws.

Mountcastle’s long-term fit in Baltimore is further complicated by the presence of Coby Mayo. The Orioles’ top prospect is a consensus top-30 talent in the sport, and he’s clearly ready for a proper big league audition even after struggling badly in a 17-game cup of coffee last year given his career .276/.373/.536 slash line at Triple-A. Much like Mountcastle himself, the 23-year-old Mayo profiles best as a first baseman at the big league level despite coming up through the minors as a third baseman. There simply isn’t enough room for all of Mountcastle, Mayo, and O’Hearn in the club’s first base plans, and while occasional time at DH or in the corner outfield spots could help the club better allocate playing time those spots are already crowded by the presence of Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, and Heston Kjerstad not to mention Ramon Laureano.

With such a deep group of corner outfield and DH options already, it seems likely that a trade opening up time at first base represents Mayo’s best path to regular playing time in Baltimore outside of an injury at the big league level. Of the club’s other two first base options, Mountcastle makes the most sense to shop given the fact that Mayo is a fellow right-handed hitter, meaning he would serve as a strong complement to O’Hearn the same way Mountcastle has over the past two seasons. Mayo would not be able to slide into O’Hearn’s role alongside Mountcastle anywhere near as easily, with the two right-handed hitters likely proving somewhat redundant even if O’Hearn was no longer in the mix.

If Mountcastle is indeed on the trade block, he’d be an attractive addition for plenty of teams. The 28-year-old is controlled through the end of the 2026 season, and while he’s largely limited defensively to first base and DH he should still be an intriguing potential addition for clubs in need of right-handed thump in the lineup. A heavily left-handed lineup like that of the Tigers could surely benefit from the presence of a player like Mountcastle, especially if Spencer Torkelson can’t maintain his hot start and remains a question mark this year. The Diamondbacks, Twins, Giants, and Padres are among the other clubs for whom Mountcastle could be an upgrade, though with four months until the trade deadline there’s still plenty of time for the needs of clubs all around the league to change and impact Mountcastle’s market if the Orioles are set on moving him.

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Baltimore Orioles Coby Mayo Ryan Mountcastle

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Orioles Option Eloy Jiménez, Release Craig Kimbrel

By Darragh McDonald | September 24, 2024 at 2:50pm CDT

The Orioles announced that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Designated hitter/outfielder Eloy Jiménez was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk as a corresponding move. Jiménez has more than five years of major league service time and therefore can’t be optioned without his consent, so he presumably has agreed to this move. The club also announced that right-hander Craig Kimbrel, who was designated for assignment last week, has been released.

Jiménez was acquired from the White Sox at the deadline in a buy-low move. From 2019 through 2023, he had hit .275/.324/.487 for the White Sox, with that production translating to a 118 wRC+. Mounting injuries were becoming a growing concern but he had generally hit when on the field.

Here in 2024, the injury-prone label got branded a little deeper. He twice went on the IL in the first couple of months of the season, once due to a left adductor strain and another for a left hamstring strain. His production had also slipped, as he was hitting .240/.297/.345 for an 82 wRC+ when the Orioles traded for him, sending minor league reliever Trey McGough the other way.

The change of scenery hasn’t helped, as Jiménez has hit .232/.270/.316 for a 68 wRC+ since coming to Baltimore. The club had been battling a number of position player injuries in recent weeks but each of Jordan Westburg, Ramón Urías and now Mountcastle have returned to the active roster in the past few days, which has squeezed Jiménez from the roster.

Though he has the right to reject an optional assignment, it’s understandable why he would accept. There’s only a handful of days left in the season and he wouldn’t be postseason eligible with any other club at this point. Rather than look for other opportunities, he will hold his 40-man roster spot with the O’s and hope to be able to contribute in the club’s postseason run at some point. He came into the campaign with exactly five years of service time and already has enough in 2024 to add another full season to that.

His contract has a $16.5MM option for 2025 with a $3MM buyout that the O’s are sure to decline after a rough season from Jiménez. As part of the trade, the White Sox are covering half of that buyout. That will send him to free agency where he will be looking to market himself as a bounceback candidate. It’s obviously been a rough season but he’s still fairly young, turning 28 in November, and has a strong pre-2024 track record.

As for Kimbrel, a release was the expected outcome after he was designated for assignment last week. He wouldn’t have been postseason eligible with any club claiming him off waivers. Even grabbing him for a few regular season games would be costly as his contract has a $1MM buyout on a 2025 club option. That would be on top of the roughly $400K of his $12MM salary that is still to be paid out in the final week of this season.

Given his 5.33 earned run average on the year, no club was going to pay that price. As a veteran with years of service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment, so the O’s have simply skipped the formalities and let him go.

It will be an interesting offseason for Kimbrel, who is now 36 years old and coming off a rough showing. Some may expect him to call it a career but he has come back from down years before. In both 2019 and 2020, he posted an ERA north of 5.00, but bounced back with a 2.21 ERA in 2021. He then had two more solid seasons before his 2024 struggles. Some clubs may be interested in taking a flier and hoping for another comeback, though he likely won’t be the first choice of club’s with championship aspirations.

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Craig Kimbrel Eloy Jimenez Ryan Mountcastle

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AL East Notes: Jansen, Yankees, LeMahieu, Webb, Mountcastle

By Mark Polishuk | September 14, 2024 at 1:29pm CDT

Kenley Jansen enjoyed ten straight years of playoff baseball before signing a two-year, $32MM free agent contract with the Red Sox during the 2022-23 offseason, and barring a late surge from Boston in the last two weeks of play, Jansen is now on pace for back-to-back without any postseason action.  As he heads into free agency this winter, it therefore isn’t surprising that Jansen is “always gonna look for winning.  Contending,” the closer told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.  “That’s going to be my priority…I want to be in a situation where we can contend for a title.  That’s it.”  This doesn’t necessarily mean Jansen wouldn’t consider a return to the Sox, as Jansen praised the team’s young talent and said he “had a blast wearing this uniform, playing for these fans.”

Even as he approaches his 37th birthday, Jansen has no plans to retire, suggesting that he’d like to pitch “at least until I’m 40-42.”  There isn’t much on-field evidence that Jansen is running out of steam, as he remains an effective late-game weapon with a 3.48 ERA in 51 2/3 innings and 26 saves in 30 chances for Boston in 2024.  Jansen figures to get a lot of attention in free agency this winter, and Cotillo suggests that the Yankees could look at Jansen as a potential replacement for Clay Holmes.  The Red Sox and Giants were the only teams publicly linked to Jansen’s market in his prior stint as a free agent, but Cotillo writes that New York “made a serious run at Jansen before he” joined the Red Sox.

More from around the AL East….

  • Sticking with the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu discussed his hip impingement with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, saying that he received a cortisone shot on Thursday to hopefully aid the healing process.  LeMahieu hasn’t played since September 3 but he believes he’ll be able to return to New York’s lineup before the season is over.  While players generally have a more optimistic view of their injuries, this does represent a more positive outlook than manager Aaron Boone’s more non-committal answer earlier this week, when the skipper said “I wouldn’t necessarily rule it [a LeMahieu return] out, but I wouldn’t count on it, either.”  In between this injury and the foot issue that cost him the first two months of action, LeMahieu has struggled to a .204/.269/.259 slash line over 228 plate appearances this season.  Even if he is healthy enough to play, LeMahieu’s lack of production might well cost him a spot on New York’s playoff roster.
  • Jacob Webb’s activation from the Orioles’ injured list could happen during the team’s current series with the Tigers, manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters.  Before a bout of elbow inflammation sent him to the 15-day IL on August 4, Webb was one of Baltimore’s more solid relievers, delivering a 3.08 ERA over 49 2/3 innings and 53 appearances out of the Orioles bullpen.  Of the many players on the Orioles’ IL, Webb seems closest to returning, though Danny Coulombe is continuing a minor league rehab assignment and might not be far off.  Jordan Westburg has resumed baseball activities and is hitting in a batting cage as he works his way back from a fractured hand.
  • Ryan Mountcastle is still in the early stages of a hitting progression, but Hyde wasn’t sure if the Orioles first baseman will be back before the regular season is over.  Mountcastle’s IL stint due to a sprained left wrist began on August 23, and he has hit .265/.305/.425 with 13 home runs in 485 PA.  As Kubatko writes, the loss of Mountcastle’s steady production has been more glaring since first base replacement Ryan O’Hearn has been caught in an ugly slump.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Notes DJ LeMahieu Danny Coulombe Jacob Webb Jordan Westburg Kenley Jansen Ryan Mountcastle

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Orioles Place Ryan Mountcastle On IL, Release Nick Avila

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2024 at 9:50pm CDT

The Orioles placed first baseman Ryan Mountcastle on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 23, this evening. Baltimore brought up utility infielder Livan Soto from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. The O’s also released right-hander Nick Avila, whom they’d designated for assignment last week.

Mountcastle departed last Thursday’s game with soreness in his left wrist. He sat out the final three games of Baltimore’s weekend series with the Astros. The O’s announced the injury as a sprain. Baltimore had a scheduled off day tonight. While it’s rare for a team to make an IL placement on an off day, there’s a three-day maximum for a retroactive IL stint. If the O’s had waited until tomorrow to put Mountcastle on the shelf, that would’ve delayed the retroactive start date to August 24.

That seems like an indication that it’s a minor issue. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s back when first eligible a week from now. Baltimore will likely turn to Ryan O’Hearn at first base with Eloy Jiménez at designated hitter in the interim. O’Hearn is having a strong season as the primary DH. Baltimore nevertheless brought in Jiménez in a surprising deadline swap. He has hit .304 in 18 games since the trade, yet it’s a fairly empty average. The former White Sox slugger has yet to hit a home run and drawn only a single walk in 57 plate appearances in an O’s uniform.

Mountcastle has been a good but not elite presence in the Baltimore lineup for the last four-plus years. He hit 33 homers in his first full season back in 2021. Since then, he has settled in as a 20-homer type bat. Mountcastle hits for good averages without taking many walks, generally resulting in slightly lower than average on-base marks. It has been more of the same in 2024. He’s hitting .265/.305/.425 with 13 longballs in 485 trips to the plate. Despite the decent overall production, he has been in a major slump of late. Mountcastle hit .225 with a .257 OBP and no homers this month.

Avila, 27, lost his spot on the 40-man roster when the Orioles called Cole Irvin back to the majors. Baltimore had claimed the 6’4″ reliever off release waivers from the Giants in June. Avila debuted with San Francisco earlier in the season, allowing 12 runs across 11 2/3 innings. He didn’t reach the big leagues with the Orioles. Avila was battling a shoulder injury at the time he was released by San Francisco. He didn’t return from the minor league injured list until the middle of August. He has not yet found his pre-injury form, giving up a staggering 10 runs while recording just four outs over three appearances with Triple-A Norfolk. Avila allowed just three earned runs per nine in 72 Triple-A frames last season.

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Nick Avila Ryan Mountcastle

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