What about Mayo?

[eddie83]

2 minutes ago, Jagwar said:

If Urias and Mateo are still on the roster on opening day, I can't see how Mayo or Holliday make the team out of spring training.  

Both can’t buy why not one? 
 

Bench 

McCann

Mateo 

Urias 

Kjerstad/Cowser

C-Adley 

1B - Mountcastle 

2B-Holliday 

SS-Gunnar

3B-Westburg 

LF-Hays

CF-Mullins

RF- Santander 

DH-O’Hearn

[eddie83]

I think if Holliday doesn’t make it that helps someone like Hilliard out. Mateo would be back to playing more INF then.  
 

Also possible Hilliard makes it over Kjerstad/Cowser.  

[RZNJ]

44 minutes ago, Jagwar said:

If Urias and Mateo are still on the roster on opening day, I can't see how Mayo or Holliday make the team out of spring training.  

Why not?  I think it’s pretty easy to see how either, but especially Holliday would fit.

3B Westburg/SS Holliday/2B Holliday/Mateo SS-OF/Urias 2B-3B

Or

3B Mayo/SS Henderson/2B Westburg. Mateo and Urías same as above

[Sydnor]

On 2/25/2024 at 10:53 AM, Frobby said:

How much have you seen of him?   

I know this question was not directed to me, but I saw Mayo play around 8-10 games in Norfolk last year when I was in VAB. I have been consistently impressed by his lateral movement. He obviously has a cannon, and his throws were accurate (I saw Diaz pick a couple of his throws, but he never airmailed him). I think the concerns over his defense are largely overblown. Coby is tremendously athletic. Will his height and getting down on the ball be an issue in the future? maybe, but I haven’t seen it. I truly believe he could start the year with the Orioles and play average to slightly above average defense based on what I saw in Norfolk. If Mayo has continued to improve with off-season work, I think above average defense is possible. I don’t think that it is a foregone conclusion that Westburg will be a better defensive third baseman than Mayo long term. 

[OriolesMagic83]

1 hour ago, eddie83 said:

I think if Holliday doesn’t make it that helps someone like Hilliard out. Mateo would be back to playing more INF then.  
 

Also possible Hilliard makes it over Kjerstad/Cowser.  

Geez I hope Hilliard doesn't make it.  He's a AAAA player.  What's the purpose of having the #1 farm system if you don't give prospects a chance.

[Brooks The Great]

2 hours ago, Jagwar said:

If Urias and Mateo are still on the roster on opening day, I can't see how Mayo or Holliday make the team out of spring training.  

Considering how Elias stuck until the bitter end with scrubs like Odor, Frazier, and Voth, it's a lock that Urias and Mateo will be on the OD roster. I don't like Mateo as a player at all and would have released him last season to give Westburg and Ortiz more playing time, but, unlike Frazier and Odor, I can understand the value that Elias sees in Mateo's speed and defensive versatility. And Urias has actual value to any team. The only way Urias and Mateo aren't on the Opening Day roster is if one of them is traded (no one will want Mateo except perhaps as a throw-in, so it would likely be Urias getting traded) or one of them gets hurt.

[ShoelesJoe]

What are the chances Mayo makes the OD roster and Holliday doesn't?

[Jagwar]

6 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Why not?  I think it’s pretty easy to see how either, but especially Holliday would fit.

3B Westburg/SS Holliday/2B Holliday/Mateo SS-OF/Urias 2B-3B

Or

3B Mayo/SS Henderson/2B Westburg. Mateo and Urías same as above

That means they only carry 4 outfielders, And McKenna and one of Cowser/Kjerstad are out. 

Your 5 + Mountcastle + O'Hearn + Rutschman + McCann + Hays + Mullins + Santander + 1 OF = 13 position players   

[wildcard]

If Mayo is ready (and I am not saying he is)  that is a heck of a middle of the order bat to add to the lineup.

[Sports Guy]

Why is Holliday ready but Mayo isn’t?

[Earl Buck]

26 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Why is Holliday ready but Mayo isn’t?

Early spring training game reports certainly confirm his bat is ready. Defensively is the other side of the question and no one will say his defense is as good as Holliday’s that does not mean he is not ready to handle a big league defensive position. 

[Roll Tide]

If you have Mateo and Urias I don’t see how you have room for Holliday and Mayo. 

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Jagwar said:

That means they only carry 4 outfielders, And McKenna and one of Cowser/Kjerstad are out. 

Your 5 + Mountcastle + O'Hearn + Rutschman + McCann + Hays + Mullins + Santander + 1 OF = 13 position players   

That’s right but Mateo is the other outfielder.  That’s the whole reason they have him playing there.  So they can carry Kjerstad and not another outfielder whose main job is to backup Cedric.  Also why Kjerstad is getting starts in LF.   He’ll definitely play LF on the road and If he looks good enough he will even get LF starts at home.

[Sports Guy]

35 minutes ago, Earl Buck said:

Early spring training game reports certainly confirm his bat is ready. Defensively is the other side of the question and no one will say his defense is as good as Holliday’s that does not mean he is not ready to handle a big league defensive position. 

Holliday is playing a relatively new position. Defense is his biggest question mark as of today.  Not that he can’t handle it imo, just saying I don’t feel that excuse works for one but not the other.

[RZNJ]

26 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

If you have Mateo and Urias I don’t see how you have room for Holliday and Mayo. 

To answer SG, it looks like Mayo is ready but you’re right.  There’s no room on the infield.  He’d have to beat Westburg or Holliday out and even if his bat is better than both I don’t think they’re ready to do that.   The other possibility is beating out Kjerstad for the LF/RF job but unless he starts getting a crash course out there pretty soon, that’s not happening either.  Good problem to have but they may need to find a spot for Mayo sooner rather than later.