Some first impressions on Orioles' first base situation

The Orioles can’t say that their outfield is set for 2025 until they figure out what’s happening in right, with Anthony Santander heading toward free agency and the various directions they could go for a replacement. They know that Adley Rutschman is their No. 1 catcher but his backup, James McCann, also is ready to hit the market. The left side of the infield appears to be in the hands of shortstop Gunnar Henderson and third baseman Jordan Westburg, with Ramón Urías an option again for the corner if he’s tendered a contract. MLBTradeRumors.com projects a raise to $3.1 million.

The right side is settled if you believe that Jackson Holliday heads into camp as the everyday second baseman – the Orioles didn’t pick him first overall to work in a platoon – and Ryan Mountcastle stays at first with another big raise coming his way after making $4.137.5 million this year. The Orioles were willing to listen to trade offers for Mountcastle at the deadline, though nothing materialized, and his projected salary jumps to $6.6 million.

Many of us are working under the assumption that the Orioles give Mountcastle a contract and the left field wall continues to torture him. It’s reducing his impactful power. The infield on most nights could hold, going left to right, Westburg, Henderson, Holliday and Mountcastle. But there are other decisions to make at first base.

Ryan O’Hearn watched his career soar after the Orioles acquired him from the Royals for cash considerations on Jan. 3, 2023. More accurately, after he battled to get back on the 40-man roster. Let’s not forget that they designated him for assignment two days later, risking that he’d get claimed by another team. And for Lewin Díaz again.

Those were crazy times.

The Orioles’ hitting program meshed with O’Hearn’s talents and work ethic. He hit .289/.322/.480 in 112 games in his first season, and .297 with an .802 OPS versus right-handers. His doubles went from 22 to 21 this year, his home runs from 14 to 15 and his RBIs from 60 to 59, but in 30 more games.

O’Hearn was paid $3.5 million this season, but the Orioles hold an $8 million option, the extra $500,000 for appearing in at least 120 games. He plays plenty but isn’t penciled into the everyday lineup, and the possible inclusion of left-handed hitting Heston Kjerstad on the 2025 roster could eat into more of those starts as designated hitter.

The choices are to pick up the option, decline it and try to negotiate a new deal or move on from him.

A possible alternative at first base bats from the right side. Top prospect Coby Mayo might move across the diamond.

The Orioles kept choosing Urías and Emmanuel Rivera at third, citing the pair’s defensive skills, and they optioned Mayo for a second time on Sept. 21. The sporadic at-bats didn’t set him up to succeed, but the pressure of a pennant race lessened their ability to let him work through it. Mayo got into 17 games and went 4-for-41 with 22 strikeouts.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias isn’t ruling out right field for Mayo, but as I’ve said, the position currently is third among the landing spots. And first base might be moving ahead of third.

“He’s probably the furthest along at first base,” Elias said, “despite most of his minor league repetitions coming at third.”

The complication here is making Mayo the everyday player he’s supposed to be but not having a position waiting for him.

It worked out for Mountcastle, who was drafted as a shortstop and moved to third base, left field and finally first. The Orioles don’t like to use the word “logjam” and they’ve thinned out the infield prospects by trading Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, César Prieto, Darell Hernáiz and Mac Horvath, but the depth still creates this type of issue.

Manager Brandon Hyde talked about Mayo and Holliday, who batted .189/.255/.311 in 60 games, during his season-ending press conference.

“Jackson’s 20 years old and Coby’s young, too, and in this age of pitching, which you just saw the last two days what we faced, it's extremely hard to hit and you're more times than not going to have to make some adjustments,” Hyde said. “You're going to have to see what it's like first. It's nothing close to Triple-A pitching. So when you're young and haven't seen the velocity, the movement, the bullpen arms that are coming at you, it's going to make it challenging at first. Sometimes you have to go through it.

“That's why it's easier when you're in a rebuild situation or expected not to win, to be a young player and fill right in. When you're on a team expected to win and the fans think you're supposed to win and supposed to hit at the same time, it's not easy, and both these guys are going to be really good major league players. They just got their feet wet a little bit in the big leagues, but they have huge ceilings and they're really talented, and just got to be a little bit patient.”