Focus on the Orioles has shifted from the managerial search to the coaching staff, but there’s also pending roster business that heats up after the World Series. Decisions on options and non-tender candidates, setting the 40-man, crafting a plan to ditch last place and jump back into the playoffs.
It’s always interesting to get an outsider’s perspective, a scout from another organization who’s tracked the team and some of its affiliates.
You could fill a room with them and everyone would agree that the Orioles must join the race to find arms.
“Baltimore is starting to figure some things out pitching-wise. They really have,” a scout said.
“There’s some guys who are really starting to progress and making some strides, but Baltimore’s got to get some pitching. Starting pitching and bullpen. But they’re gonna be in line with a lot of other organizations to get it.
“You’ve got to have starting pitching. Getting (Tomoyuki) Sugano, (Zach) Eflin, and then Grayson (Rodriguez) got hurt. (Dean) Kremer’s a nice piece, but on a championship club he’s a fifth guy, you know? He’s gonna sparkle at times. He’s gonna do similar to what (Max) Scherzer’s doing at 41, 42. And then the bullpen. When you lost (Félix) Bautista, the bullpen was even worse. (Keegan) Akin’s a nice seventh inning guy. He’s not a ninth inning guy.”
Akin registered eight saves this season in Bautista’s absence, but part of his value comes from being able to cover multiple innings if needed and getting out right-handers. They hit .196/.309/.362 against him, but left-handers hit .287/.358/.457.
“He’s not a big left-on-left guy,” the scout said. “You need that.”
Don’t look at Dietrich Enns. Left-handers slashed .353/.389/.618 and right-handers slashed .226/.291/.304. In his 35 major league games, left-handers are hitting .333/.376/.552 and right-handers .227/.284/.343.
Put it on the shopping list.
The lineup and bench aren’t set, either, and the offense already is impacted by the departures of assistant hitting coaches Sherman Johnson and Tommy Joseph, with the possibility of other changes.
“They’ve got talent,” the scout said. “If (Jordan) Westburg stays healthy, (Gunnar) Henderson, (Jackson) Holliday, whoever you have at first base. I’ve heard that (Ryan) Mountcastle could get traded. (Colton) Cowser’s got to produce. I never saw (Tyler) O’Neill, so I can’t tell you what he is.
“(Dylan) Beavers played well. Now, whether they give him a shot, I would hope so. But if you’ve got Beavers and Cowser and Holliday and Henderson, I’m talking all left-handed hitters. You need a right-handed bat. Well, that’s where O’Neill comes in. That’s where Mountcastle might have to come in. Are they convinced on Coby (Mayo) that they’ll trade Mountcastle? I don’t know.”
Mountcastle, as you know, is projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to receive a raise to $7.8 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The price and another down offensive year make him a non-tender or trade candidate.
The scout also wonders about the utility job after the Orioles traded Ramón Urías to the Astros at the deadline. Urías was under team control for 2026 but he’s gone.
Luis Vázquez is a plus defender at shortstop and the Orioles signed him yesterday to a one-year major league contract. He doesn't do much at the plate, however.
Jorge Mateo appeared in only 42 games and batted .177/.217/.266. Injuries became an issue again, including the swelling in his left elbow and a strained hamstring, and the Orioles aren’t expected to pick up his $5.5 million option.
“I would have taken him maybe three years ago when there was a lot of value in him at shortstop and he can run, but he’s had a lot of health issues and stuff like that,” the scout said. “They’ve got some holes.”
The scout also said, “They’ve got some pieces in place.” He wasn’t referring to new manager Craig Albernaz, who turned 43 yesterday, but the hiring was the first order of business.
“He’s definitely come from a good lineage,” the scout said. “You’re talking Tampa Bay, went to San Francisco for a little bit. Cleveland, their system is solid. They do a lot of things that are just fundamentally sound. They play the game of baseball. They win in the minor leagues, they develop in the minor leagues, they do a really solid job. He was only there a couple of years, but I’m sure he has seen some things over there that he’s gonna garner not only from them, but Tampa Bay has had a good history of developing players. I never saw him manage in the minor leagues, so I can’t say what he likes to do, but your roster dictates what you can and can’t do.
“I read where Cleveland had 28 (sacrifice) bunts and Baltimore had four. That was Cleveland’s club. They didn’t have much offense beyond José Ramírez. They were searching for so much offense this year, they put some players in position that hurt them defensively, which isn’t characteristic of them. But they were searching.”