Orioles GM Mike Elias spoke to reporters prior to this afternoons game against the Yankees and touched on a number of topics, including the clubs needs and goals ahead of the trade deadline as well as the status of two of the clubs key, upper-level prospects: infielders and . As noted by , Elias suggested to reporters that both Holliday and Mayo figure to factor into the clubs plans as big contributors in the second half this year. Holliday, of course, is the consensus top prospect in the entire sport and got a brief cup of coffee at the big league level earlier this year. The 20-year-old looked overmatched in the majors at the time, slashing just .059/.111/.059 in 36 trips to the plate acro s ten games. He then returned to the Triple-A level and hit .252/.418/.429 over his next 40 games. Thats a solid overall Brad Keller Jersey slash line but a far cry from what Holliday had done in the past, especially looking at his production in early June, when he hit just .212 with a 26.7% strikeout rate and a .394 slugging percentage in ten games before being placed on the minor league IL due to what the club referred to at the time as a . The young phenom returned to action after two weeks on the shelf and has looked more like himself at the plate, slashing a solid .250/.464/.425 in 12 games since returning. Hes been limited to appearances at DH since returning, but that restriction figures to come off soon as Elias told reporters (including ) this afternoon that Holliday will resume playing the field after the All-Star break. That should leave Holliday in line to take over a regular role at second base for the Orioles at some point in the second half. Baltimore has been relying on a combination of and to fill out the infield mix, with playing second base on days Urias is in the lineup and third base on days Mateo is in the lineup. Hollidays arrival would likely open the door for Westburg to settle in at the hot corner on a more permanent basis while shifting both Urias and Mateo into bench roles. Of course, that infield picture figures to get complicated further by the introduction of Mayo, who Elias spoke of glowingly in conversation with reporters (including ) this afternoon. He is in an exceptionally good spot. We talk about him all the time, Elias said of Mayo, according to Rill. Hes very close. Hes going to help us this year. Its just going to be about the right moment and the right opportunity and the right runway for something like that. Mayos readine s for a new challenge is all but undeniable at this point. The 22-year-old infielder posted a 127 wRC+ in 62 games at the Triple-A level last season and has followed it up with even stronger numbers this year. In 284 trips to the plate at Triple-A this season, Mayo has slashed an incredible .297/.380/.606 with a wRC+ of 147. While his 24.6% strikeout rate is perhaps a smidgen higher than is ideal, he more than makes up for the swing-and-mi s with a 10.4% walk rate and a phenomenal 19 homers in just 63 games. Talented as the slugger is, however, his roster fit in Baltimore is a difficult one to sort out. Mayos native position is third base, and thats where hes received almost all of his reps throughout the minors. With that being said, his defense has drawn mixed reviews and with Westburg likely to lock down the hot corner on an everyday basis upon Hollidays ascension to the majors, that would leave Mayo on the outside looking in when it comes to reps at his natural position. Mayo has also received occasional time at first base, however, and its fairly easy to imagine him factoring in to the clubs first base/DH mix. Even that part of the roster is overcrowded, however, as and are currently splitting time there while also spends time at DH when not behind the plate and the clubs five outfield bats- , , , , and vie for whats left of the playing time available at DH when not patrolling the gra s. The Orioles overflow of positional talent could, of course, be le sened somewhat by trades in the run-up to the deadline on July 30. Elias told reporters ( ) that while the front office is largely focused on the draft, which will run from tomorrow until Tuesday, the club will turn its attention toward the upcoming deadline afterwards and will have the flexibility to add payroll as they pursue additions. that while Elias did suggest that payroll could increase under the clubs new ownership group, that doesnt mean its definitely going to happen this summer and that the front office plans to be disciplined in their spending going forward, even as the purse strings loosen relative to where payroll had been under the Angelos family. Of course, even just reaching the vicinity of peak payroll under the Angelos family, which lists as just under $165MM back in 2017, would offer the Orioles plenty of room to work with this summer and headed into the offseason. In terms of specific needs, Elias acknowledged (as relayed by ) that adding a starting pitcher with multiple years of team control would be a big bonus for the club as they stare down an offseason where theyll need to fill out an Opening Day rotation where only , rookie , and struggling righty can be reliably penciled in thanks to the pending free agencies of and as well as surgeries underwent by Means, , and that figure to sideline them into 2025. Attractive as the addition of a controllable arm would be, however, Weyrich goes on to note that Elias made clear the club will be approaching this deadline with 2024 front and center. A look at for the summer will reveal a list littered with potential options that feature multiple years of control, ranging from breakout White Sox star and veteran righty , to Rockies hurlers and , and even Rays starters and . While an intradivision trade with Tampa seems somewhat unlikely, the Orioles certainly have the farm system to acquire virtually any player they set their sights on, even without parting ways with Holliday or Mayo. That said, its certainly feasible that the club could look to acquire shorter-term pitching options as well. Right-hander is the top rental pitcher on the market this summer and seems like a le s than ideal fit after he struggled to a 6.75 ERA down the stretch with Baltimore last year, but hurlers like , , and could also be available this summer as pure rentals depending on the competitivene s of their respective clubs in the run-up to the deadline. It would also hardly be a surprise to see the Orioles attempt to beef up a bullpen mix that recently lost left-hander to surgery that will keep him out of action until at least September. Rob Refsnyder Jersey
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