There has been trade speculation surrounding Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for much of 2025. While trade chatter about Baltimore potentially dealing their longtime first baseman died down after the trade deadline passed and Mountcastle was still on the roster, it has been picked back up again this offseason.
The Orioles trading Grayson Rodriguez in exchange for slugger Taylor Ward showed that Mike Elias and the rest of the front office are willing to trade players. And if there’s one position where the Orioles have a surplus of capable players, it’s at first base.
This, combined with the fact that Mountcastle has one season of team control left before becoming a free agent, makes him a seemingly ideal trade candidate. The problem is that the Orioles might not get the return they desire for him, given that Mountcastle is coming off the worst (and most injury-riddled) season of his MLB career to this point.
That being said, the 28-year-old still has a lot left to offer, appears poised for a bounce-back 2026 season, and would be a welcome presence in many teams’ lineups.