SARASOTA—The Orioles optioned first baseman/third baseman Coby Mayo to their minor league camp and assigned their other top prospect, catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo, to minor league camp on Tuesday.
They also assigned right-handed pitchers Corbin Martin, Levi Stoudt and Thaddeus Ward, infielder Nick Gordon and outfielder Daz Cameron to minor league camp, leaving 41 players remaining on their spring training roster.
Mayo, who was hit by a pitch in Monday’s game against Boston in Fort Myers, was hitting .190 with three RBIs in 17 games.
Last season, he hit just .098 (4-for-41) with 22 strikeouts. This spring, he struck out 13 times in 42 at-bats and began Grapefruit League games 1-for-23.
“Obviously, it’s nice when balls fall and you’re hitting the ball hard and see the success happen,” Mayo said. “I’m never really too worried about my hitting. I think I’ve had enough success over my career. It doesn’t matter the level. I’m always confident in myself. It’s nice to see them fall. I’m always confident no matter what kind of skid I’m on.”
Mayo has played well at third base in recent games and is also confident about playing first base.
“I think I can play third. I think I can play first,” Mayo said.
Last year, the Orioles sent him back to Norfolk at the end of spring training despite a .342 average.
“It definitely is difficult. It obviously sucks because you feel like you’ve proved everything you needed to. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s quite enough. You go back there, [and] if you have success, ‘oh, he’s supposed to have success because he’s already proved it. If he doesn’t’ have success, it’s, ‘well, obviously he’s fallen off. It’s kind of a lose-lose going to Norfolk.”
On the pitch that hit him, Mayo said: “It caught me in the hand/wrist area, but it didn’t catch me clean, thankfully.”
Basallo impressed with two mammoth home runs and hit .226 in 16 Grapefruit League Games. The 20-year-old also impressed with his catching and athleticism.
“I felt like it was a great experience. I felt like I was able to learn a lot,” Basallo said through a translator. “Just being here, really enjoying this experience. I felt like it went really well.”
Basallo has played just 21 games at Triple-A, and knows he isn’t far from the majors.
“Of course, I do feel like it’s a possibility and have that confidence that whenever I come up that I can come up and do a good job,” he said.
Basallo said the Orioles have given him guidance on what he needs to work on at Norfolk.
“The same things that I’ve already been working on in this camp, so just continue to work on my defense,” Basallo said. “Continue to just progress the way I’ve been doing things, so continue along with all of those things.”
Basallo is eager to get to the majors.
“Of course, that’s the goal to force them to have to make that decision, but ultimately that’s their call, that’s their decision to make. I can only control how well I perform and how well I can do my job,” he said.
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