Orioles' interim manager highlights underrated aspect of Coby Mayo's big league time

Coby Mayo's playing time, or lack thereof, with the Baltimore Orioles has been a hot-button issue in Birdland. Mayo, despite playing much better baseball as June wound down, has only appeared in five games in the month of July. He's hitless in his 10 at-bats in the month, understandable considering the difficulty of finding a rhythm with multiple days off between appearances.

While many Orioles fans have called for Mayo to receive more consistent playing time, interim manager Tony Mansolino offered a different perspective on the top prospect's development. Time on the bench isn't the same as big league reps, but there is still value to be found there.

"We understand carrying him here and him losing some at-bats right now in Triple-A," Mansolino said today. "We understand that we’re kind of making a choice, and the choice we’ve made is to get him at-bats here, a certain amount, as much as we can, but also to watch the game and slow the game down and mature."

Orioles manager Tony Mansolino went to bat for Coby Mayo and his future

In a game of measurables, the interim skipper knows there's some things that can't be quantified.

"He’s (Mayo's) going to be a really good player, it’s going to take a little bit of time. Him being here and watching the game right now, and that can always change, we could always reverse course and develop him in a different way. But we’ve chosen to develop him this way, and we feel strongly that this is going to help him moving forward.” 

That may not be the answer that every Orioles fan wants to hear, but it's an understandable and underrated perspective. Mayo is getting big league coaching, watching big league pitching, and finding at-bats where he can. The game is, hopefully, slowing down for him. Plus, with the Trade Deadline looming, there will more than likely to be more at-bats to go around. Mayo is unlikely to be moved anywhere, and could see his playing time take a jump.

There are plenty of dynamics to consider. If Baltimore decided to send Mayo back to Triple-A, there would be nothing left to prove. Consistent at-bats help, sure, but against lesser competition, the former top prospect would do nothing but rake. Of course, many would argue that there should be more at-bats at the big league level, but Mansolino's primary objective as interim manager is to win as many games as possible. Veterans on the roster seem to present the best chance to do so.

In a few weeks, the discussion surrounding Mayo's playing time could look very different. But for now, the Orioles feel strongly that keeping him in the big leagues, even with limited playing time, is the best thing for his development. Only time will tell if that strategy pays off.

More Orioles News from Birds Watcher