Baltimore Orioles Make Ryan Mountcastle Available in Trade Talks, Per Report

Dependable first baseman Ryan Mountcastle could get traded at some point this season as the Baltimore Orioles look for ways to free up a spot for top prospect Coby Mayo.

Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first base Ryan Mountcastle (6) hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are letting teams know that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is available to be acquired via trade, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday morning.

Mountcastle, 28, is entering his fifth season as the Orioles' primary first baseman. The team is looking to free up a spot in the lineup for top prospect Coby Mayo, though, which could make Mountcastle expendable.

MLB Pipeline has Mayo ranked as the No. 14 prospect in baseball. He can play third base as well, but former top prospect Jordan Westburg is already firmly entrenched in the hot corner.

Even if Mayo isn't big-league ready just yet, designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn is a first baseman by trade and has made 126 starts at the position since arriving in Baltimore in 2023.

In three games so far this regular season, Mountcastle is 1-for-9 with a double and three strikeouts. He hit .302 with five home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.038 OPS in 16 Grapefruit League games this spring.

Mountcastle was an immediate contributor for the Orioles when he made his debut during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, finishing eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He placed sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year race in 2021, racking up 33 home runs and 89 RBIs in 144 games.

For his career, Mountcastle is a .264 hitter with a .764 OPS. He hit .271 with a .733 OPS in 124 games last year, making up for his career-low 13 home runs, 63 RBIs and 27 walks with a career-high 30 doubles, eight defensive runs saved and 2.6 WAR.

Mountcastle is on the books for $6.79 million in 2025. He has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining, then is slated to hit free agency at the end of the 2026 season.

The Orioles close out their season-opening series against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:37 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Related MLB Stories

• DODGERS' TORRID START: By capping off their sweep over the Tigers on Saturday, the Dodgers extended their dominant season-opening winning streak to five games. CLICK HERE

• 3 PITCHES, 3 HOMERS: Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to open the Yankees' game against the Brewers on Saturday. CLICK HERE

• MISNER BLASTS HISTORIC HR: By crushing a walk-off home run against the Rockies on Friday, rookie outfielder Kameron Misner made Rays and MLB history. CLICK HERE

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.