Orioles spring training: Top prospects among those reassigned to minor league camp

On Tuesday afternoon, the Orioles announced their latest round of roster cuts, sending seven players in total back to minor league camp. Among the group that's been reassigned are top prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo.

Mayo had some critical comments about the Orioles decision to reassign him, stating that going back down is a lose-lose situation for him, and that he's disappointed because he feels like he's done everything right up to this point.

It's fair to look at it from Mayo's perspective and understand why he's frustrated. He's clearly proven that he can hit minor league pitching. Now it's just about getting him more work against major league pitchers and letting him adjust and develop. He'll have to wait a bit longer to get that work in, though.

Orioles top prospects reassigned to minor league camp in recent bevy of moves

Basallo going down is no surprise. The young catcher made a strong impression this spring but didn't have a path to playing time in the majors and has just 86 plate appearances above Double-A. 2025 will be a crucial year for him, as he prepares to further his development and prove that he's ready for the majors. It's possible that he'll get called up late this year but more likely, he'll make his debut in 2026.

In addition to Mayo and Basallo, outfielder Daz Cameron, infielder Nick Gordon, and pitchers Corbin Martin, Levi Stoudt, and Thaddeus Ward are all heading back down.

Cameron had been hitting well in limited time this spring. He was brought on as a minor league depth signing this winter and is behind a bunch of guys on the depth chart. It'll take a lot for Cameron to wind up in Baltimore this year, and we'll have to hope that if it happens, it's because of performance and not injury.

Gordon on the other hand did not look sharp. He was hitting a paltry .107/.167/.143 across 30 plate appearances, which just isn't going to work. He hasn't been good in the majors since 2022 and it's not clear that he'll get a chance to play in Baltimore this year.

There isn't a ton to say about the group of pitchers going down. Like the two players just discussed, the group of Martin, Stoudt, and Ward isn't likely to contribute in Baltimore this year. Ward has some post-hype aspects to him and Stoudt had some success in the minors, but there are a number of pitchers ahead of these guys on the depth chart and it's not surprising to see their time in major league camp come to a close.