Should Orioles be concerned about Jackson Holliday? | MAILBAG

Question: It seems that Jackson Holliday has had enough at-bats to make me concerned! Do you think the Orioles might have a short leash on him in 2025? From: Chris Knez

Answer: Chris, I don’t think you should be concerned about Jackson Holliday. At 20, he was extremely young for a major leaguer last season, and he’ll still be extremely young at 21.

Colton Cowser had a rough beginning to his major league career in 2023, and he was much better in 2024. I think the same will happen with Holliday.

In fact, Holliday was 7-for-19 (.368) in the last two weeks of the regular season, and the guess here is that he’ll have a productive 2025.

Question: Why hasn’t Anthony Santander signed yet? Is there still a chance that the Orioles will re-sign him? And why the heck is the offseason called the Hot Stove League? From: Barry Culman

Answer: Barry, Santander just hasn’t found a deal he likes. There’s reported interest in him by the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays, and I think he’ll sign soon.

Santander is fun and engaging, a delight to be around, and I’ll miss him around the Orioles. The Orioles have moved on from him, and I would be extremely surprised if he re-signed with them.

As for the “Hot Stove League,” there was a perception that generations ago, baseball fans sat around a hot stove during the winter discussing the sport. There was never an actual Hot Stove League.

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.