Though the game played indicates differently, the mid-point of the baseball season is upon us.
After the NL’s stunning victory over the AL in the Mid-Summer Classic’s 7-6 swing-off victory, the regular season is back in full swing, and a dogfight remains for the postseason.
The Baltimore Orioles sit at 44-54, 8.5 games in the AL Wild Card standings, and 13.5 games back of the AL-East-leading Toronto Blue Jays.
As the Birds came out of the break, there were questions surrounding the state of the club with a lot of baseball left and the trade deadline looming.
We at The Battery have taken a collection of questions and have chosen the most pressing ones to answer in this halfway mark edition of Battery Q&A.
So, let’s dive in and see what is on Birdland’s mind.
Will the Orioles make giving Coby Mayo at-bats a priority after the trade deadline? – @RichardRaven via X
Coby Mayo has been a professional this season, as the front office tries to figure out what to do with the first base position.
Currently, Ryan Mountcastle is still on the IL, and the soonest he would return is July 30, depending on how long his rehab assignment will be. The Orioles have a lot to consider as that approaches.
Ryan O’Hearn was the lone All-Star for the Birds and is having a strong season getting everyday at-bats but is also a free agent at the end of the year. Mountcastle is having a down year but has usually had stronger second halves.
A lot will hinge on what the Orioles decide to do at the trade deadline, and that includes the possibility of trading Mayo, who has one big league home run off a position player in 120 big league at-bats.
In Sunday’s 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, O’s skipper Tony Mansolino decided to play Ramón Urías at first base after an ejection of Ramón Laureano forced O’Hearn to shift over to right field. That said a lot.
Would just winning series be good enough to get the Orioles back in it? – @JBB_Os_Ravens_UM via X
The Orioles, believe it or not, are still in the running for the postseason, even after how difficult the first half of the season was for them.
Currently, the Birds sit 8.5 games back in the Wild Card standings, which gives them a realistic chance of making a late postseason run. Seventeen of the O’s final 21 series are against teams who are also in the postseason hunt.
If the Orioles were to win one four-game series, split the other three four-game series, win their lone two-game series and win the remaining 17 series, they would finish 43-24 (.652 winning pct.).
That would place them at 86-76, which is not a horrible season but might not be enough to realistically make the postseason.
At the current projections of the last Wild Card spot, that would be tied for the seventh position, which would come down to tiebreaker scenarios.
It’s not too farfetched, but a lot of other teams would need to falter, and the Orioles would need things to bounce their way. It would also be a historical pace of baseball to end the season.
Do you still believe in Dean Kremer? – @s_m_o_KING_ via X
Before the season started, I predicted a big season from Dean Kremer. Although, some writers on our Battery staff don’t think as highly of the veteran right-hander.
He is in his age-29 season, entering his prime, and is someone who consistently takes the ball every fifth day.
While the first half of the season was not bad, Kremer did get off to a slow start before ending the first half as the O’s leader in victories. Kremer is 8-7 through 20 games (18 starts) with a 4.06 ERA.
Kremer has posted a 3.29 ERA through his last 15 games, as he has put forth some strong performances after struggling through his first month or so of the year.
Since 2022, Kremer has appeared in 41 games (40 starts) after the All-Star Break and has posted a 3.46 ERA. However, his 13-12 record shows that the O’s only play right around .500 ball when he is on the mound. The 2023 season was the outlier, as Kremer was 4-1 in 14 second-half starts.
Kremer has come up big in games with ramifications, and his second halves usually are stronger than his first. He could have a role to play in the second half, and with a game on the line, there would be no reason to shy away from him.
What role does coaching and/or philosophy play in the specific struggles for the team this year/second half of last year? (1. Strikeouts 2. Lack of bunching hitting together/clutch hits 3. Emphasis on launch angle versus fundamental hitting) – Felicia Uman Stolusky via Facebook
Coaching and philosophy actually go a long way in how a team approaches a game, an opposing pitcher and a big series, as well as the season as a whole.
The team philosophy should be preached and utilized by the entire organization, or you end up with friction inside and out of the clubhouse.
One of the things that may have come back to bite the Orioles is the use of certain metrics, including how the lineup is constructed, how the bullpen is utilized and the type of players that are pursued via free agency and the draft.
In the last couple of seasons, the Orioles have utilized a two-headed hitting coach system, which I believe has been a bigger issue than believed. With the hiring of John Mabry as an advisor to the hitting coaches, I do believe that move in itself has changed how the players approach their at-bats.
While coaching has a direct role in the product on the field, philosophy plays a bigger role, as the team should have one philosophy that the coaches teach and preach.
If the coaches deviate from that, you have a frayed rope and a team going in the opposite direction of the vision that the club was supposed to be built around.
How likely is it that we keep our All-Star Ryan O’Hearn, or is it a foregone conclusion that he’s trade bait? What about Cedric Mullins? Do you think the organization will ever sign any of our stars like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman or Jackson Holliday anytime soon? – Heidi Tennyson Bertaux via Facebook
Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins are both on expiring contracts, which would entice the O’s front office to deal them for the right package in return.
As for the stars that the organization has built around, it’s not that they don’t want to extend them. It comes down to the agents they have and the value they think they possess.
Both Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday are represented by Scott Boras, who usually encourages his players to avoid extensions and play the free agent field.
With Adley Rutschman, it’s a matter of if the Orioles intend on keeping him long-term. I know that raises eye brows, but with Samuel Basallo excelling in the minors, the decision could come down to performance, in which Rutschman has struggled since the second half of last season.
Henderson might be the longest shot to extend unless the front office is willing to offer a contract that approaches the $600 million mark.
With the trade deadline coming up, who are the most likely players that might be traded, and what kind of return do you think we can get for them? – Matt Brown via Facebook
The trade deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, and the Orioles are expected to be active.
Whether that is for this season or next is what is unknown as of now, though O’s GM Mike Elias says he will be looking to still compete this season as well as for next.
Players most likely on the trade block are Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Ramón Urías.
Outside of Urías, all of those players are on expiring contracts, meaning they will be rental players, which may lower the return. What Elias will be looking for in return is young players who are major league ready right now.
Elias could also choose to keep some of those players and make a qualifying offer to them in the offseason, which would get the organization extra draft picks if any of those players is signed by another team.
Teams that could approach the Orioles for players include the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. That is based on the needs of those teams and them being at or near the top of their respective postseason races.
While there were numerous questions to go through, we appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and submissions. We are sorry we can’t answer all of the questions sent to us, but we definitely do love the participation and support by everyone.
We hope you enjoyed this round of Battery Q&A. Be on the lookout for the next round to see if your question makes it into our next article.
What do you think of our responses? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment