The Orioles finally made their big winter splash - and they did it in a way that demands attention. Pete Alonso is heading to Baltimore, and with that, the O’s have officially signaled they’re not just hoping to contend in 2025 - they’re planning on it. For a franchise that’s spent recent offseasons dipping a toe in the water instead of diving in, this move is a statement.
But now comes the tricky part. The move that makes headlines is done.
What follows is the quiet, calculated work that often defines whether a team’s offseason is truly successful. Because when you add a bat like Alonso’s - a cornerstone-caliber first baseman - you also trigger a ripple effect across the rest of the roster.
And right now, that ripple is hitting first base like a wave.
The Orioles suddenly have a logjam at a position that doesn’t exactly lend itself to rotation. Ryan Mountcastle is still around.
So is Coby Mayo, one of the system’s most intriguing young bats. And let’s not forget Samuel Basallo, a top catching prospect who’s also part of the first base/DH conversation.
That’s a lot of mouths to feed in a lineup that only has so many DH at-bats to go around.
So what’s the plan?
In a recent MASN mailbag, Orioles executive Mike Elias addressed the situation in his usual fashion - measured, careful, and decidedly non-committal. He emphasized that having “too many good bats” isn’t a problem, and pointed to last season’s need for depth as justification for keeping the surplus intact. He also floated the idea that DH at-bats could help spread the playing time around.
On the surface, that’s a fair point. Depth is a luxury - until it becomes a necessity.
Injuries happen. Slumps happen.
Teams that go deep into October usually do so because they’re built to withstand the unexpected. And Elias certainly isn’t going to advertise that the Orioles are desperate to move a first baseman.
That’s not how you get value in a trade.
But here’s where Orioles fans have every right to feel a little uneasy. This is exactly the kind of logic that can lull a front office into inaction.
You convince yourself the depth is a strength, that the roster can sort itself out organically, and that waiting for the “right deal” is always the smartest move. But in the meantime, you’re sitting on a surplus at one spot - while your pitching staff is one injury away from being in crisis mode.
Kubatko laid out a possible version of the roster that includes Alonso, Mountcastle, Mayo, and Basallo all coexisting. It’s not impossible.
But it’s also not how most contenders are built. You don’t often see playoff teams balancing three or four first base/DH types in one lineup.
Not without someone’s development stalling, someone else losing rhythm in a part-time role, and another becoming a very expensive insurance policy on the bench.
So while Elias may not have to move Mountcastle or Mayo, the smarter path might be to seriously consider it - if the right pitching deal materializes. Baltimore is reportedly in the mix for arms like Michael King, Framber Valdez, and Ranger Suárez.
That’s not window shopping. That’s a team looking to upgrade its rotation with real intent.
And according to the same MASN report, Elias isn’t facing tight financial constraints, which means the Orioles can spend if they want to.
But spending money isn’t always the cleanest way to get better. Sometimes, the more efficient - and more sustainable - route is to turn your surplus into strength elsewhere.
The Orioles have a clear surplus at first base and DH. They also have a need on the mound.
That’s the kind of equation that front offices are built to solve.
The risk isn’t in keeping Mountcastle or Mayo. Both are talented hitters with real value.
The risk is in convincing yourself that keeping all of them - and Alonso, and Basallo - is the only way forward. Because if the Orioles enter 2025 with a loaded lineup but a pitching staff that’s still one injury away from unraveling, that’s not depth.
That’s imbalance.
Baltimore made the splash. Now it’s time to make the follow-up move that ensures it wasn’t just for show.