Does Elias play favorites with Orioles he’s brought into the organization? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: I think Mike Elias seems to have a good bit more loyalty to the players who have been drafted by him or the players he’s brought in via trade, cash, or waiver pickup. I’ll cite the failure to sign Anthony Santander, and the “fact” that it was publicly stated that Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle were available at the trade deadline.  Also, he let “long-timer” Austin Hays go via trade. From: Bernzilla

Answer: Bernzilla, that is an original hot take. Mike Elias is an extremely unemotional general manager, and I don’t think he’s overly loyal to players he’s drafted. In the last two weeks, he traded two of his high draft picks, Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers, for Trevor Rogers. He traded three more of his draft picks — Jackson Baumeister, Matthew Etzel and Mac Horvath — for Zach Eflin, and a pitcher he obtained in the Trey Mancini deal, Seth Johnson, along with an international signee, Moisés Chace for Gregory Soto.

Last winter, he traded still another high draft choice, Joey Ortiz, for Corbin Burnes and still another, Darell Hernaiz, for Cole Irvin before the 2023 season.

It wasn’t publicly stated that Mullins and Mountcastle were available. It was speculated, and they probably were available for the right deal. Mullins and Hays are just over a year away from free agency, and Hays’ 2025 salary might be too high for the Orioles’ comfort, and they wanted to get a player of value for him, and they did in Seranthony Dominguez.

As for Santander, I’ve answered questions about the possibility of the Orioles signing him a few times here, and I’ll undoubtedly do so again in the coming weeks, but I don’t think whether he re-signs here or not is because Elias does or doesn’t have an emotional attachment to him. He likes players who produce. He didn’t draft Grayson Rodriguez, but he certainly likes having him on the Orioles.

Question: Will Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday be considered rookies in 2025 and be qualified to compete for Rookie of the Year? From: Carlos Vasquez

Answer: Carlos, Beth Rowell, formerly of Abingdon, Maryland, currently of Sparta, North Carolina, also asks about Holliday.

A player retains rookie status until he accumulates 130 at-bats or stay on the active major league roster for 45 days. In the case of pitchers, it’s 50 innings or 45 days on the roster.

Through Thursday night’s game, Holliday has 62 at-bats, about halfway to the 130 at-bats. Unless he’s injured. He’s going to get those 130 at-bats, perhaps before the end of this month.

Mayo has just 13 at-bats. Even if he doesn’t play regularly, and the Orioles decide to keep him on the major league roster for the rest of the season, he’d be ineligible for Rookie of the Year in 2025.

If the Orioles decide to send Mayo back to Norfolk in the next few weeks, he’ll likely not have enough at-bats and major league service time to disqualify him from rookie status.

Last season, Colton Cowser had 61 at-bats and 43 days of major league service time and was twice optioned to Norfolk, and he’s a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2024.