Question: I want the O’s to hold on to Jorge Mateo. He is a modest young man with enormous talent, perhaps the best athlete on the team. Jim Palmer said he does something to help the team win in every game he is in. What is the word around on Jorge? His status on the injured list is largely ignored by the press and that worries me. From: Stephen M. Berberich
Answer: Stephen, it’s true that I haven’t addressed Jorge Mateo’s status in detail. He didn’t have a great season even before his July season-ending elbow injury, which eventually required Tommy John surgery.
He hit .229, and while he had 14 doubles and stole 13 bases in 15 attempts, the Orioles think that Jackson Holliday needs to play second base next season. If Holliday, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg play regularly, there may be only room for one utility player, and Ramón Urías played very well in the second half of the season.
Mateo simply didn’t hit well enough consistently and he could command a $3.2 salary in arbitration for next season, That may be too high for the Orioles. He is expected to be ready to play at the start of next season, but it may be for a team other than the Orioles.
Question: I haven’t heard much about Trevor Rogers in a potential 2025 rotation. Maybe I’m just not reading enough. Do the O’s see him as a legit candidate for the rotation in 2025? From: David Larry Kim
Answer: David Larry, I also got a question from Victor Gardner in Richmond asking if I thought the Orioles trading Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Marlins was a good one.
I think Rogers has an outside shot at being a starter next season, provided he pitches well during Grapefruit League games and there’s an injury or two to a starter. The Orioles always are looking for starting rotation depth.
The trade doesn’t look to be a good one now, especially since Rogers pitched poorly in four starts, but if he does better next season, then it looks better.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.