Guardians need to avoid filling first base vacancy with Orioles castoff

There have been multiple points over the past three seasons where Ryan Mountcastle made sense as a trade target for the Guardians. Although he was never an All-Star during his seven seasons with the Orioles, he was the first player from their young core to become a bonafide big leaguer, and, at one point, was one of the most feared right-handed bats in baseball. 

But those days seem to have passed him by. Earlier this week, the Orioles declined Mountcastle’s $7.5 million club option for 2027, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. 

While seeing that may make it seem like the Orioles just gave the Guardians a chance to finally acquire Mountcastle at a discount, we just had a Rhys Hoskins-sized example of why that would be a bad move. 

Last offseason the Guardians decided to fortify their first base platoon by buying low on Hoskins (a player they’d long coveted), and he finished the year with a .682 OPS and just 13 home runs. It’s not like that had a huge financial impact on the Guardians (he was making just $1.5 million), but it did put the Guardians in a tough spot that led to them trading for Nathaniel Lowe. 

Now is not the time for history to repeat itself. 

The Guardians need to stay away from Ryan Mountcastle

And it would be one thing if Kyle Manzardo was the biggest part of the Guardians’ outfield picture, but there’s also the Ralphy Velazquez of it all. He may just be 21, but he just posted a .928 OPS in 121 games across Double-A and Triple-A. He’s clearly the first baseman of the future. 

He may not be a great fit beside Manzardo since they’re both left-handed, but now is the time for the Guardians to throw the platoon advantage to the win and trust their internal talent instead of bringing in an uninspiring right-handed bat like Mountcastle. 

Although Mountcastle recorded 60+ RBI in four straight seasons from 2021 to 2024, he only managed to get into 97 games in the past two seasons, and is coming off a year where he played in just eight games before suffering a left foot fracture and oblique strain. But even if he stayed healthy, it would have been hard for him to get everyday playing time since Baltimore traded for Pete Alonso. 

Mountcastle’s foray into free agency also shows that former Guardians coach (and new Orioles manager) Craig Albernaz is going to have his work cut out for him with the new look Orioles. Baltimore also outrighted former top prospect Heston Kjerstad off its roster, and is reportedly considering trading everyone other than Alsono. 

It wasn’t that long ago that the Orioles were the toast of baseball, but that’s all gone by the wayside thanks to some regression from almost everyone on their roster. Meanwhile, the Guardians are one of MLB’s most consistent contenders. Now isn’t the time for them to add Mountcastle to that equation.

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