Orioles’ bidding decision Ryan Mountcastle The arbitration agreement last November came as a surprise. An already odd fit got even worse when the O’s signed. Pete Alonso A five-year contract was signed at the Winter Meetings. Mountcastle still remains on Baltimore’s roster, although he hasn’t secured any actual playing time since signing.
The first out was the O’s going through an arbitration hearing and then releasing Mountcastle during Spring Training. Arbitration salaries determined at hearings are not fully guaranteed until Opening Day (whether the player wins or loses). Teams can pay 30 or 45 days of layoff pay, depending on when the player moves during spring training.
Dropping Mountcastle for just over $1 million wasn’t the ideal sequence, but the situation wasn’t unprecedented. Giants’ decision to release JD Davis Two years ago in spring training Matt Chapman It was not signed until after the arbitration agreement was submitted to Davis.
The Mountcastle camp appears to have learned a lesson from Davis’ situation. arbitration hearing Although salaries are not fully guaranteed in the spring. settlement Locked when signing. Mountcastle and the Orioles agreed in mid-January to a $6.787 million contract for 2026 with a $7.5 million club option for the 27th season. Mountcastle’s 2026 salary is exactly what he earned last year.
It’s a smart move by his representatives, who were clearly aware of the possibility of redundancy pay. Arbitration salaries essentially do not decline from year to year, so if he had gone to a hearing the $6.787MM figure would have been the floor, but not locked in until Opening Day. By settling, he ensured that his money was fully insured. In return, the Orioles picked up a club option that would give them control over a potential free agent year. they did something similar Ryan O’Hearn It paid off a few seasons ago when O’Hearn played well enough to make his $8 million club option an absolute bargain.
But none of that solves roster overload. It’s honestly difficult to see a path for Mountcastle to provide the Orioles with nearly $7 million in value over the next two years. Alonso basically doesn’t get a day off, so Mountcastle won’t have a first baseman unless the Polar Bear gets injured. They will likely split most of the designated hitter’s playing time between two catchers and/or two catchers. Tyler O’Neill.
Bench-batting Mountcastle is not ideal for anyone. This is a roster spot you probably want to use for a utility infielder. It would be better to use it to organize your payroll and increase salary flexibility on deadlines. The player is entering a potential walk season and should welcome the opportunity to get more at-bats than expected in Baltimore.
It’s no surprise that The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in mid-February that the O’s were still open to a deal involving Mountcastle. Kobe Mayo. There is less urgency to trade the latter, who could fill the third base position. Jordan Westberg The schedule is uncertain due to an elbow ligament injury. Mayo also has a minor league option remaining, so he could be sent to Triple A if the infield becomes too complicated. The O’s don’t have that luxury at Mountcastle.
Although most of the trade activity is over, we still may see one or two deals involving noteworthy players before Opening Day. Mountcastle is one of the better players known to be available. He is having a poor season, hitting .250/.286/.367 while missing two months with a hamstring injury. He batted slightly above average in each of his first four and a half years in the big leagues. Mountcastle has never been a star, but is usually more dependable for a win or two above replacement. He is a career .263/.312/.438 hitter with nearly 2,700 plate appearances.
Which teams are still in contact with O’s president of baseball operations Mike Elias?
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