The Baltimore Orioles have a trio of talented players that could create a logjam for playing time at first base.
There may not be a team in the sport that has a core as deep and talented as the Orioles, who should have one of the best offenses in the game for years to come., who has already ascended to MVP-level performance in only his second full year as a Major Leaguer.
Adley Rutschman is among the best catchers in the game. Adding to the foundation is outfielder Colton Cowser, who finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race in 2024 and Jordan Westburg, who was an All-Star in his rookie campaign., the No. 1 prospect in baseball last year, is set to be the starting second baseman in 2025. Catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the farm system and No. 13 in baseball. The only Baltimore player ahead of him is corner infielder Coby Mayo, who comes in at No. 8 in baseball. Only 23 years old and with impressive showings in the Minor Leagues, the third baseman/first baseman was named the most MLB-ready prospect in the organization by May's cup of coffee with the O's wasn't anything to write home about — 4-for-41 with 22 strikeouts. But most rookies struggle. Holliday did last season, too. But, Mayo's Triple-A numbers we impressive last year, especially the power — 23 doubles, 22 home runs and 67 RBI in 89 games.Last year's debut hasn’t changed how the Orioles view their talented infielder. Despite being involved in plenty of trade talks this offseason, they have not been willing to include him in any deals.Pitching is what the team needs most and they should be willing to dip into their strength to fill that void. Adding an ace to replaceSomething will have to give sooner rather than later, as Basallo needs a spot in the lineup as well and is cross-training at first base, along with catcher. Finding playing time for all of these players, and being able to afford paying them all down th ero, will be difficult. All of those players still have a high value. Trading one could go a long way toward relieving the logjam.Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.
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