Evaluator Says Orioles' Prospects Could Have Value Diminished By Being Stockpiled

The Baltimore Orioles have the best farm system in the baseball, but one talent evaluator says these prospects could have their trade value decrease if they continue to stay in the minors.

There is a lot to sort out for Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias during this upcoming season.

If they don't feel comfortable meeting the high asking price to acquire Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, then they likely will go into the year with the same players littered throughout their loaded farm system.

That is great for an organization that relies on development to fill out their Major League roster. Their inability to compete in the free agency market makes it pertinent they have as much talent waiting to be called up as possible.

However, there's also a chance this could come back and hurt the Orioles.

Steve Melewski of MASN spoke with the editor-in-chief of Baseball America, JJ Cooper, about Baltimore's current pipeline situation.

"You also don’t want your prospects to become stale ... Also sometimes trade values get effected by that ... you look at the Norfolk team that finished the year that won the title in Triple-A and you see players there that if they spend another full year in Norfolk next year, will their value be diminished?" Cooper said.

This is an interesting perspective.

He says once a player accomplishes everything they can at the minor league level, there isn't much to be gained by continuing to play there instead of in the MLB.

That's the challenge the Orioles face.

They have plenty of prospects on the verge of playing Major League Baseball, and under many other circumstances, there would be no question that they would get that opportunity with their club.

But, with the young roster Baltimore has, there are very few open positions available heading into the 2024 season.

Cooper continued to emphasize this is a good problem to have, especially for an Orioles franchise who needs as much talent as possible in their farm system to have sustained success.

The natural inclination would be for Elias to move some of these prospects to address the areas of need this roster has, most notably starting pitching.

He hasn't shown the willingness to do that thus far.

If Baltimore doesn't make a deal for Cease and they go into this year with their current crop of prospects, they could be hurting themselves in future deals if the perception of these players decreases as they spend more and more time in the minors.