Should Orioles trade Mountcastle? | MAILBAG

Question: Ryan Mountcastle has missed 30 to 40 games each of the last two years with various injuries. Managing matchups both at first and DH is limited and complicated. Mounty is also vocal about his disdain for the left-field wall. Should the Orioles trade him this winter? From: Bob Webster

Answer: Bob, it’s a possibility that Mountcastle gets traded this winter, but I’m not convinced he will. Yes, he has missed time the last two seasons, and he’s had home runs taken away by the deeper dimensions in the left field. He’s also two seasons away from free agency.

On the other hand, he’s not strictly a pull hitter. He’s an excellent first baseman, and the Orioles don’t have a proven player to put there. They could trade him so that Coby Mayo would have a spot to play. The Orioles already have lots of left-handed hitters, and they’d be trading away an accomplished right-handed hitter, and I wonder if the return on him is enough to tempt them.

So, while a trade wouldn’t surprise me, I’ll guess they hold on to Mountcastle for another season.

Question: How does deferred and extended pay affect the luxury tax for any given year? From: Ron Foreman

Answer: Ron, let’s take the case of Shohei Ohtani. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last year, deferring $680 million of it. Ohtani will receive $68 million each July 1^st from 2034-2043. The Dodgers’ payroll is charged $46 million annually from 2024-2033.

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.