Orioles are forced to deal with a Coby Mayo reality that was inevitable

Coby Mayo's struggles at the plate and in the field have been the cause of much consternation for Orioles fans this season. When he got off to a hot start at the plate in spring training, it felt like he was following the momentum of his great September, and when he started the regular season as a double play turning machine against the Twins, it seemed like he was going to be ok at third base. Neither of those things turned out the way anyone hoped, and Mayo has really struggled at the plate and in the field, slashing .162/.233/.305 and ranking among the worst defenders in the league by OAA.

The most disappointing part of these struggles is on the offensive side. Mayo was never a great defender at any level of the minors. The reason he was a top prospect is that he was better at the plate than any of the Orioles top prospects that came before him or since. Watching him struggle at the plate after being such an offensive force as a prospect makes you ask yourself, "How could it be this bad?"

The answer to this question is quite simple. Playing third base is killing Mayo's bat.

This season Mayo has played 27 games at third, four games at first, and four games as a DH. Here are his stats at each position:

3B: .157/.227/.258
1B: .222/.200/.556
DH: .272/.385/.636

The lesson here feels obvious.

Asking Coby Mayo to play third base was a mistake that has hurt him and the Orioles

Whether it's because physically Mayo is more worn out by playing third or the mental strain of playing such a crucial role when you know you're not great at it is affecting him at the plate, it doesn't really matter. The fact is that playing third base is bad for Mayo.

If Mayo is bad defensively at third base and playing third base makes him bad at offense, then there's really no reason for him to play third base anymore. Which brings the Orioles to a difficult question: what are they supposed to do with Mayo?

The Orioles DH spot is typically filled by whichever of their star catchers isn't behind the plate. First base is filled by Pete Alonso, and he's not going anywhere. So where does that leave Mayo? Being a professional pinch hitter?

There's no good answer except to say that this is why the Orioles needed to trade Mayo in the offseason, even after they got the news about Jordan Westburg's injury. The idea that he was suddenly going to be a viable option at third base just because the Orioles really needed him to be was always overly optimistic, bordering on nonsensical.

From the moment the Orioles signed Alonso, there was never any room on this team for Mayo. They had a chance to trade him while he had some value, but now that he's put a month's worth of bad play at third on film, it's going to be virtually impossible for the Orioles to get anything for him. Worst of all, when he ends up on a team that will play him at his actual position, it seems overwhelmingly likely he'll be a good hitter in that role.

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