Orioles’ Deadline Dilemma: Coby Mayo’s Latest Option Triggers Urgent Calls for a Trade, Exposing a Potential Roster Logjam and Demanding Immediate Action From Baltimore’s Front Office

The Baltimore Orioles were going to have to make some hard decisions ahead of Opening Day this year with so many established players already on the roster and some of their star prospects knocking on the Major League door.

Everyone was hoping that Coby Mayo would be in the fold.

Ranked as the second-best prospect in the Orioles’ farm system and No. 14 in the sport, the 6-foot-4 infielder has torn up minor league baseball since getting taken in the fourth round of the 2020 draft with a slash line of .283/.381/.541, 82 homers and 282 RBI across his 390 games.

He’s also dominated the Triple-A level the past two years, signaling he could be the next star for Baltimore on their roster that features many of them.

However, he was optioned to the minors as part of the latest roster moves, a cut that he wasn’t too fond of, evident by him saying, “it obviously sucks” and calling it a “lose-lose situation.”

Mayo has proven everything he needs to in the minors.

His first taste of The Show didn’t go well last season when he went 4-for-41 across his 17 games with 22 strikeouts, but facing pitching at a level he’s dominated is not going to get him better prepared to become an elite big league hitter like he’s still projected to be in his career.

The only way Mayo can reach that ceiling is by playing in MLB games.

And because the Orioles don’t think he’s ready to be on the field for them, then it’s time they find a trade partner and feature him in a deal that will bring back a player who will benefit this team.

Baltimore needs starting pitching.

It’s not a given that Kyle Bradish is going to return from his Tommy John surgery and be an AL Cy Young contender again. And they can’t keep going into every year relying on Grayson Rodriguez to become the ace of this staff when he hasn’t shown that ability and is dealing with injury issues of his own.

Mayo would land them a bonafide top-end starter.

Whether that’s Luis Castillo, Dylan Cease or another pitcher who becomes available, Mayo should be the featured piece in a trade package to upgrade their starting rotation.

Sure, Baltimore could continue to hold onto him, playing the waiting game to see if he’ll show enough to keep him on the roster at some point since it’s clear Baltimore doesn’t think he’s ready right now.

But will they ever think he’s ready based on their current and future situations?

Jordan Westburg is an All-Star third baseman. Ryan Mountcastle has been smashing the ball in spring training and could be due for a bounce back season with another year of club control remaining. Ramon Urias also is arbitration eligible for the final time after this campaign.

All three of these players are more established than Mayo and fill the two corner infield positions.

And that’s without factoring potential superstar Samuel Basallo into the mix who seems like a shoo-in to play first base when he’s not behind the plate spelling Adley Rutschman.

It’s a murky situation, and unless Mayo gets called up and hits the cover off the ball at some point during the 2025 season, then it doesn’t seem like there’s going to be a place for him.

The Orioles have to do the risky thing.

Trade the 23-year-old star prospect with a high ceiling and get back something that helps this team win now and in the future.