Will Orioles give Coby Mayo a longer trial? | MAILBAG

Question: If the Orioles are not going to give Coby Mayo time to get used to big league pitching as they did with Jackson Holliday, why not package him with someone and get a good pitcher? From: Jerry Olney

Answer: Jerry, Coby Mayo was up because Ramón Urías, who was playing very well, was on the injured list. So was Emmanuel Rivera, who was added when Jordan Westburg went on the IL.

Mayo and Rivera both play first base and third base, and Rivera outplayed Mayo during the time when both were on the roster. The Orioles still think highly of Mayo, but he hasn’t produced in his three big league stints.

I’m sure he’ll get a lengthier trial sometime this season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team packaged him for a pitcher at some point.

Question: I don’t see anything about an option on Tomoyuki Sugano after this year. Why wouldn’t Mike Elias have included one? The O’s had nothing to lose. Instead, we’re faced with the prospect of him walking after one year. From: Bob West, Ellicott City, Maryland

Answer: Bob, I would think that Sugano’s representation wanted him to experience major league ball for a year and see what the fit was with no long-term commitments.

So far, Sugano has been terrific, and he’s adjusted well. If it hadn’t worked out well, or he was unhappy in the U.S, he’d have the ability to return to Japan for next year if he wanted.

I’m sure Elias wishes he could have given Sugano an option, but the guess here is that his camp just wanted a one-year deal, and now he can be free to pick his team for next year.

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.