3 Orioles players who could be traded during the 2024 Winter Meetings

MLB's Winter Meetings kick off today in Dallas, as all 30 front offices will meet and hopefully get the hot stove roaring with trades and free agent signings. It's certainly possible that the Juan Soto sweepstakes finally come to a close this week. The bidding looks to be going hot and heavy, with rumors that the final price will be nearing $750 million as of Sunday night.

While the Orioles unfortunately won't be landing Soto, there are still some pain points on the roster that need to be addressed. It's possible that Mike Elias tries to solve the top of the rotation with money in the free agent market, but they could also look to nab a top starter via trade like they did last winter with Corbin Burnes. If they do, here are three players that could be moved in order to make those roster upgrades.

If you'd asked us in late May and early June about Cedric Mullins' future in Baltimore, we'd have told you it was tenuous at best. The former All Star and stalwart Orioles center fielder collapsed in the first half and was the subject of trade rumors at this past year's July deadline. The Orioles chose not to move Mullins, and he rewarded them with a .266/.374/.457 line in the second half. That said, Mullins has just one year left until free agency and seeing as he's about to enter his age-30 season, he feels like the kind of guy the Orioles will let walk in free agency next winter.

It'll be tough for O's fans to take if Baltimore really does choose to move him. Mullins has been an integral part of the Orioles roster dating back to 2018, and is one of the few guys left from those terrible pre-Covid Orioles teams. But if the Orioles are serious about upgrading the pitching staff, moving a viable center fielder when they have Colton Cowser waiting in the wings makes sense.

The Orioles could move Mullins, replace him with Cowser, and put Heston Kjerstad and Tyler O'Neill in the corners and move on. It's still not clear that they're adamant about moving him, but he's a top candidate given the lack of control and rising arbitration salary.

There 3 players could be shipped out of Baltimore by the end of the week

Mike Elias has gone on record that he's not thrilled about the idea of moving top prospects this winter. So while it seems like Coby Mayo will stick around for a long while, assuming he can get his bat in order, he's still the type of guy that makes sense as a trade chip. The Orioles infield is full right now. The trio of Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday aren't going anywhere and the O's currently seem attached to Ryan Mountcastle.

So if that's the case, there's limited playing time available for Mayo, assuming everyone is healthy. It doesn't make sense to keep a guy that's blocked at multiple positions. So whether the O's think trading Mayo is for the best, or if they want to move on from Mountcastle, something has gotta give here.

We're writing about Mayo because he still has so much trade value. It's tough to trade these top prospect types, and for good reason. Teams don't want to give up the on-field potential, and they don't want to give up the years of team control that come with it. But if the O's aren't going to give him regular playing time, and a guy like Bryce Miller or Garrett Crochet is on the table, the Orioles have a tough choice to make.

Like Mayo, it's tough to see how the Orioles are going to give everyday at-bats to Heston Kjerstad in 2025. Kjerstad had his moments in 2024 and ended the year with a .253/.351/.394 slash line. It'll be really tough to give up that kind of OBP talent, especially with a guy that's just 25 years old. But if the Orioles don't move Mullins, the outfield is full.

Kjerstad has been mentioned as a guy that could get reps at first base to open up the option for more playing time but we're starting to see a logjam there as well. And with Mayo and soon Samuel Basallo coming up and fighting for chances, it makes it all the more difficult for Kjerstad to cement himself in the everyday lineup.

After the O'Neill signing, it was easy to think that both he and Kjerstad could be used in a platoon in right. And if they're both healthy, you have to think they'd rake next to one another. But if the rumors are true about O'Neill thinking he's the everyday right fielder, the Orioles have another tough choice to make.

Right now, the Orioles have 14 batters for 13 spots. If everyone is healthy, they've got one extra guy. If they can use one of these three to get a meaningful upgrade in the lineup, it seems like a reasonable choice to make. We'll see if the O's pull the trigger on anything this week and kick start the arms race at the Winter Meetings.