How Orioles' roster crunch could help the Guardians trade for former top prospect

On Aug. 2, 2024, Orioles prospect Coby Mayo made his MLB debut at Progressive Field. While Mayo’s debut didn’t get the same kind of attention as Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson, his debut was another tangible example of the O’s youth movement that they thought was going to turn them into true contenders.

The exact opposite ended up happening, as the Orioles got bounced early in the postseason in 2024 and struggled so bad in 2025 that they fired manager Brandon Hyde and spent all offseason restructuring the roster. 

And while that roster restructuring could mean that the Orioles are better in 2026 thanks to the presence of Pete Alsono and former Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz as manager, it could also result in Mayo being on the outside of the Orioles’ roster bubble. 

That should be music to the Guardians’ ears. 

On Saturday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal shined a new light on Mayo’s roster status in his new notebook, where he wrote that the Orioles are still exploring trades for Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle. 

The Guardians have the perfect opportunity to strike for Orioles infielder Coby Mayo 

While it looked like any team’s pursuit for Mayo and Mountcastle hit a roadblock earlier this offseason thanks to Holliday breaking the hamate bone in his right hand, Rosenthal wrote that the Baltimore would still consider trading both players, even if they need to carry one (or both) of them on their Opening Day roster. 

Mountcastle has stood out as an obvious fit for the Guardians all offseason thanks to the fact that he hits right-handed and wouldn’t cost a ton in prospect capital, but Mayo also presents another interesting buy-low opportunity. 

Mayo was once a top-30 prospect in all of baseball but he has yet to put it all together at the big league level. Mayo hit just .217 in 85 games last season, though he did post a .719 OPS with 10 home runs in 58 games after the All-Star break. 

Even though Mayo would take some time away from Kyle Manzardo at first base, he’d provide the Guardians with a much-needed right-handed bat. He can also play at third base, which could be helpful on the days where the Guardians want José Ramírez to get a day off his feet. 

The obvious question in any potential deal is what the Orioles would (or wouldn’t) ask for in a return. Even though Mayo’s struggled in the bigs, he’s just a year removed from being one of the best infield prospects in baseball. 

It would likely take a lot for the Orioles to consider giving up on Mayo so early into his career, but the Guardians acquiring him would be a calculated risk that could help the team for years to come.