Orioles attract interest from other clubs at shortstop Jorge Mateo, reports Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The specific teams in contact with Baltimore are unclear, although he’s a natural fallback target for clubs who haven’t approached the job through free agency.
A former top prospect in the Yankees and Oakland farming systems, Mateo can sometimes be undone by an overly aggressive approach to the plate. He appeared in less than 5% of his MLB plate appearances while striking out nearly 28% of the time, leading to a dismal .271 career percentage. Things were even more extreme last season as his .267 OBP only topped that of Jonathan Schoop and Cody Bellinger among batters with more than 500 plate appearances.
Although Mateo doesn’t have a particularly well-rounded skill set, he has harnessed the physical gifts that have made him a top prospect this year. After bouncing from the A’s to the Padres, the 27-year-old landed in Baltimore in late 2021 via waiver request. He got his first daily run at the major league level last season. Mateo’s plate discipline profile was abysmal, but he showed off his high-level athleticism. He stole the AL’s best 35 bases on 44 attempts, showing the speed that earned him top marks as a prospect.
As Rosenthal points out, this type of athleticism could be particularly appealing in light of rule changes that will go into effect for the 2023 season. MLB is instituting a limit on the number of times a pitcher can step off the mound in a plaque appearance and enlarge the bases, which should at least moderately incentivize base theft.
The league is also instituting limitations on defensive travel, requiring clubs to keep two infielders on either side of the second base sack and four players on the infield. As a result, teams might place more emphasis on athletic defenders, as it will be more difficult to compensate players who have below average range via strategic positioning.
Mateo has thrived defensively this year, posting top ratings in over 1,250 innings at shortstop. Defensive Runs Saved put him 14 points above average at that position, the third-highest mark in MLB. Statcast rated Mateo eight points over par, ranking him fourth among shortstops. He showcased both top-end range and above-average arm strength and appears to have become a more defender.
Maintaining this type of defensive production will be essential for Mateo unless he takes a significant step forward in his attacking development. This year’s .211/.267/.379 line was 18 percentage points below average, as measured by wRC+. His base run means he’s not completely a glove player, but he’ll need to maintain top-notch defensive marks to remain valuable with such a lukewarm outing at the plate. That Mateo is attracting interest from other teams despite his offense is a testament to both his secondary skills and the scarcity of alternatives.
One of the stories of the offseason was the star-studded free agent shortstop class. The four best players — Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson – ended up changing teams. This somewhat surprising amount of shuffling is forcing the Twins, Dodgers, Red Sox and Braves to identify new solutions to replace their outgoing stars.
All four clubs have internal possibilities, but none is an ideal situation. Minnesota acquired Kyle Farmer of the Reds as a palliative option, while Royce Lewis is expected to return mid-season after tearing his ACL in his right knee for the second year in a row. Dodgers can move Gavin Lux from second base to shortstop while relying on a combination of Max Muncy, Chris Taylor and perspectives like Jacob Amaya or Michael Vargas at the keystone. Lux is a former top prospect coming off a productive .276/.346/.399 performance, but his below average arm strength could be a concern on the left side of the infield.
Boston has a somewhat similar situation, with Trevor’s Story currently likely to return to shortstop from second base. The longtime Rockie has been a positive defender at shortstop for a while, but he also has a below average arm at this point in his career. The Sox don’t have as strong an in-house second base option collection as LA, with Christian Arroyo seek to be the favorite for game time if Enrique Hernandez stays in center field. The Braves have a utility Orlando Arcia and rookie Vaughn Grissom — who has played 63 career games above High-A and comes with defensive question marks from prospect evaluators — as inside candidates.
It makes sense that all four teams could explore the shortstop assist market, and clubs like the Angels and Diamondbacks could also register. Free agency is widely chosen at this point, with Elvis Andrus stand out as the best remaining option. Jose Iglesias offers a high contact depth option and Andrelton Simmons He’s still a great defender, but neither is shaping up to be a regular for a hopeful candidate.
Business opportunities also seem rare. Perhaps the Guardians could listen to the offers on Amed Rosario for his last season of referee control. However, there is no indication that they plan to do so in the offseason. The Brewers have reportedly informed teams that they are not dealing willy adams; the same goes for the White Sox with Tim Anderson. love gamers Nick Ahmed or Nicki Lopez could be distributed, but these are defense-only types that would be everyday below-par players for a team that is winning now.
Mateo is pitched by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a salary of $1.8 million in his first season of referee eligibility. He’ll go through the process twice more before hitting the open market after the 2025 campaign. That extended window of control means the Orioles don’t have to deal with him, and there’s no indication they’re buying actively for him. Baltimore’s rebuilding is in the rearview mirror, and Mateo’s modest officiating salary puts no financial strain on the organization.
However, it makes sense that GM Mike Elias and his team would accept the trade offers, especially if they are suspicious of Mateo’s ability to maintain his 2022 pace with the gauntlet. The lack of other options for teams desperate for the shortstop’s help could increase their sense of urgency to pursue him, while Baltimore has a number of prospects who he hopes will would eventually overthrow him as the franchise’s shortstop.
Gunnar Henderson Made his debut at the end of the season, working mainly at third base in reference to Mateo. The O’s could roll with a left infield from Mateo and Henderson while still having Ramon Urias and the recently signed Adam Frazier split reps at second base. Baltimore has highly-rated prospects Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz second only to that group, with both players having had quality seasons for Triple-A Norfolk. Westburg and Ortiz – the latter already on the 40-man roster – could each end up in the majors soon enough in the 2023 campaign, and both are seen by various prospect evaluators as potential day-to-day shortstops.
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