One of the earliest decisions the Orioles must make after free agency begins, following the World Series, is to offer contracts to their 14 eligible players.
The most prominent player in question is first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.
Mountcastle, is the senior Oriole with 5 years, 105 days of major league service time. Reliever Keegan Akin, who actually debuted a week before Mountcastle in 2020, is second with 5 years, 83 days.
The 28-year-old Mountcastle is a fan and media favorite, who’s always cooperative and has a genuinely warm nature. He’s also a favorite in the clubhouse.
In 2015, he was the 36th overall pick in the draft, and the second by the Orioles behind outfielder DJ Stewart.
Originally a shortstop, the Orioles tried Mountcastle at third base before moving him to first in 2019 at Triple-A Norfolk.
In 2020 and 2021, he played first and left field with the Orioles, but in ’21, the decision was made to play him exclusively at first base.
Mountcastle had a strong debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .333 with an .878 OPS, five home runs and 23 RBIs and followed it with a team rookie record of 33 homers in 2021. He hit .255 with a .796 OPS and 89 RBIs.
In a quirk, Mountcastle received Rookie of the Year votes in 2020 and 2021. He had 126 at-bats in 2020, four short of the 130, which would have disqualified him as a rookie in 2021.
In 2022, the Orioles changed the dimensions of Camden Yards, moving the left-field wall farther away from home plate and raising the wall’s height.
While the Orioles had great success from 2022-2024, with three straight winning seasons and two playoff appearances, Mountcastle was estimated to have lost 11 home runs in those years, more than any other player.
He did hit 53 in those years but failed to take advantage of the shorter distances in 2025, hitting only seven. Three were hit to left field.
Overall, Mountcastle has a .263 lifetime average with a .750 OPS and 98 home runs, 31st in team history.
He worked hard on his fielding and was even a Gold Glove finalist at first base in 2023 and 2024.
But injuries have cost him. In 2023, vertigo and a shoulder injury limited him to 115 games. In 2024, Mountcastle played in 124 games because of a sprained left wrist.
This past season, a hamstring injury put him on the injured list for more than two months. He injured the hamstring stealing home on May 30th.
Mountcastle played in 89 games, compiling a .250 average, a .653 OPS, seven homers and 35 RBIs.
By the time he returned on August 8th, the Orioles had committed to playing Coby Mayo at first base, and nine days later, catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo was added to the team.
Mountcastle started just seven games at first, none after September 15th.
He was a better hitter when he played first base (.281 with a .698 OPS in 53 games) than as a DH (.205, .579 OPS in 33 games).
With Mayo, Basallo and Adley Rutschman in position to DH, the roster looks crowded. And even though the Orioles could use a right-handed slugger, Mountcastle’s power numbers have declined.
According to MLBTradeRumors.com, Mountcastle could receive $7.8 million, up from $6.79 million.
He’s still a year away from being eligible for free agency, and the Orioles might balk at that price tag, especially if his playing time looks limited.
They’ll try to find a deal with him, but another team would have to pay that salary. As distasteful as it might be, the Orioles could simply not offer him a contract and receive nothing for him.
There’s likely to be a market for Mountcastle because of his power potential and defense.
If Mountcastle moves on, he’ll be missed by Oriole fans and those who’ve gotten to know him over the years.
Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.