The MLB offseason has been underway for some time, and a lot of moves have been made, and many more are on the horizon. But, for the Baltimore Orioles, their top moves have been transformational.
Taylor Ward and Shane Baz were acquired in trades, while Zach Eflin, Ryan Helsley, and most importantly, Pete Alonso signed free-agent deals with the Orioles. Amid all of those moves, one player has emerged as a clear trade candidate: Ryan Mountcastle.
According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Mountcastle is not just a trade candidate going forward, but he's the best slugger available for trade at the moment.
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle named top trade candidate in MLB
"Ryan Mountcastle has shown the ability to impact a lineup (33 home runs in 2021), but it's been a few years since he put together a full, healthy, productive season," Feinsand writes. "Baltimore has nowhere for Mountcastle to pay with the addition of Pete Alonso and the emergence of Samuel Basallo, so the 28-year-old could likely be had at a minimal cost."
The Orioles' moving on from Mountcastle makes a lot of sense on paper, now that Alonso is in Baltimore. Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo make the trio of catcher/first-base/designated hitter full.
Mountcastle is strictly depth for the Orioles at the moment, and with little reason to hold onto him for reasons other than as a depth slugger, the Orioles would likely be willing to move him in a trade.
While he's not been the best recently, hitting.250 with a.653 OPS in 2025, Mountcastle would still have some value in the trade market amid a lackluster pool of sluggers to choose from.
More: MLB Hot Stove tracker: Live updates on news, rumors, signings and trades for 2025 free agency
If a team wants to add a slugging first baseman or designated hitter this offseason, or during the regular season, then Mountcastle would be the best option.
He's going to be 29 years old for the 2026 season, and while his 2025 was rough, the previous few seasons were solid years. He had a.733 OPS in 2024, a.779 OPS in 2023, and a.729 OPS in 2022.
In 2021, along with a career-high 33 home runs, Mountcastle had a.796 OPS in 144 games. A team might be interested in acquiring Mountcastle with the hope that he can reach those offensive numbers again, which isn't too far of a stretch.
The Orioles likely have MLB's best trade candidate for any team interested in a slugger, as Mountcastle will be available for trade, and at a low price as well.
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