Baltimore Orioles Urged to Find Their Veteran Infielder a New Home

This Baltimore Orioles infielder could benefit from being traded this season.

Jun 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Ramon Urias (29) hits a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles lineup is full of talent, but that leads to some players having a limited amount of playing time.

Ramon Urias has been one of those players who has gotten into a fair amount of games, but hasn't been an everyday guy.

MLB's Mark Feinsand believes that Urias would "benefit from a change of scenery" at the MLB trade deadline.

The infielder has played in 31 of the Orioles' 63 games so far this season, maintaining his status as a role player. He is on pace to play in less games this year than in seasons past, but not by many.

His slash line is .247/.301/.416 which puts him behind where he normally is in everything besides slugging percentage. Overall, though, his OPS has been around the same spot since 2021. Consistency isn't a terrible thing, but never taking that next step has forced him to hit a plateau in Baltimore.

Taking a peek into the analytics of his at-bats reveals the same sentiment.

His 2023 season was a bit odd where he had an uptick in batting average and a worse slugging year.

His 2021, 2022 and 2024 campaigns are all within .03 for xBA, xSLG and xwOBA. It can be assumed what production he's going to bring season after season.

The best case-scenario for him would be to find somewhere where he can spend most of his time at second base. It's been consistently his best defensive position for the past two years.

Recently, the Orioles called up Connor Norby to play second base while Jordan Westburg continues to play mostly third instead of switching between the two positions.

Norby hasn't been a world beater to start his career, but he's young which gives him a leg up. Giving him at-bats will be important. He has been brought up in some trade conversations, though, which could present more playing time for Urias if he stays.

Trading the 30-year-old could make sense for Baltimore.

Their infield will only get more competitive as Jackson Holliday will eventually make his way back and Coby Mayo continues to impress in the minors.

He could be flipped for a veteran outfield bat or another reliever. He could also find himself in a package for a new starter, which has emerged as the biggest need for the playoffs.

The Mexico native won't be the centerpiece of a major trade but he could be an attractive additional player next to a prospect.