The Baltimore Orioles came into the 2025 MLB season with World Series aspirations. Those aspirations have taken a hit after a disastrous start for Charlie Morton, who was meant to replace Corbin Burnes. Next, Grayson Rodriguez opened the year on the injured list.
After a disappointing 5-8 start, the O’s got more bad news, with Zach Eflin being placed on the Injured List with a lat strain. That leaves Morton to lead a rotation filled with mediocrity and inexperience, including Cade Povich, Tomoyuki Sugano and Dean Kremer.
Playing in a tough AL East means you need to avoid digging yourself into a hole. If the Orioles fall too far behind, it may be too difficult to turn their season around. For that exact reason, there have been recent trade rumors that Baltimore is willing to trade top prospect Coby Mayo to address their pitching woes.
Should the Orioles Trade Mayo for Pitching Help?
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal discussed how Mayo — who is a top-100 prospect — could be the focal point of a package for any pitcher available at the deadline, such as Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins.
Mayo is a promising third baseman who posted a .287 batting average with 22 home runs in just 89 games at Triple-A last year. That led the Orioles to call him up to the big leagues, where he struggled, going 4-for-41 with zero home runs.
"[Coby] Mayo is going to be the next interesting test case for them, whether they hold him or not."
The Orioles could theoretically build a trade package around Coby Mayo for any available pitcher at the trade deadline, says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/7bYzC5k1ny
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV)
While we can’t write off Mayo because of poor results in a small sample, he’s currently blocked on the roster due to the Orioles’ infield depth. Jackson Holliday is entrenched at second base, Gunnar Henderson is their superstar shortstop, and Jordan Westburg is their breakout third baseman. Meanwhile, Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle have split time at first base.
The O’s could opt to move Mountcastle to free up room for Mayo. However, the better move could be to trade Mayo, since he has more value on the market as a touted prospect. Trading a prospect of Mayo’s caliber is never an easy move to make, but Baltimore may have to if they want to contend.
Who Should the Orioles Trade For?
The first thought on potential trade candidates for the Orioles is Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres. The Padres have gotten off to a terrific start though, making them unlikely to part with one of their frontline starters.
The more likely addition would be Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are a team looking to get younger, and are unlikely to make the playoffs. It would make sense for the Cards to cash in on Gray, who has AL East experience from his time with the New York Yankees.
Whatever the Orioles decide to do, they need to make the move quickly. Wasting a year in the prime of your World Series contention would be a monumental mistake.