After years of dodging top prospects and roster crunches, Ramón Urías continues to justify his place on Baltimore’s roster.
Back in March, when our hearts were filled with optimism, I wrote that Baltimore’s infield could be considered the best in baseball by the end of the season. Looking back, it really didn’t seem that far fetched.
Gunnar Henderson felt like a legitimate MVP candidate. Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday were set to take steps forward. Adley Rutschman seemed destined to return to form after a full offseason of rest, and Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn looked like one of the stronger platoons in the American League.
With Henderson dealing with a strained right intercostal, I categorized the infield as The Injured Star, The Young Studs, The Ryan Platoon, and the guys Behind The Plate. Those groups featured all of the anticipated difference makers, but there was one more group to include— The Holdouts.
Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo were expected to take a backseat once the likes of Henderson, Westburg, and Holliday showed up, and, in some ways, they did. Mateo used his game-changing speed to cling to a roster spot, while Urías boasted the Gold Glover tagline.
Mateo struggled to start the year before finding his way to the injured list, but Urías hit the ground running. The former waiver claim slashed .292/.354/.403 over the first month of the season while several others limped out of the gate.
It’s difficult to fully describe the stability that Urías has provided this year. Henderson, Mateo, Mountcastle, and Westburg have all spent time on the IL. Injuries to the infielders, along with Tyler O’Neill, Cedric Mullins and a plethora of pitchers, all factored into a brutal start to the season.
It’s also difficult to describe exactly how bad the O’s have been against left-handed pitching. The loss of Westburg, O’Neill, Mountcastle, and Gary Sánchez created a vacuum of right-handed hitters capable of tackling southpaws. Urías transitioned from a potential roster cut to a guy batting second or fourth against lefties.
The 31-year-old entered last night’s game hitting .265/.333/.429 against LHP, while the O’s had slashed 220/.293/.307 as a team. His strong bat was not enough to save the 2025 Baltimore Orioles, but it’s sad to think where they would be without him.
It’s easy to forget that Urías really did face some scrutiny at the end of spring training. Some wanted to see Sarasota sensation Vimael Machín get a shot, while others new that top prospect Coby Mayo was lurking. At full strength, the O’s seemed to only have room for one of the two “holdouts,” and then skipper Brandon Hyde did not plan to use Urías as a pinch runner.
Urías traveled north with the club and accumulated 1.0 bWAR over his first 200 at bats. He’ll never possess the ceiling of a Henderson or Holliday, but his floor is exactly the type of player that this team needed. Urías profiles as an extremely solid extra infielder on a playoff team, and it feels like a waste that he likely will not get to play that part for the O’s this season.
He could serve that role for another team this year, but that remains to be seen. Mike Elias has grown increasingly matter-of-fact when discussing the trade deadline, and Urías will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Unlike Zach Eflin or Ryan O’Hearn, Urías definitely does not project as a candidate for a qualifying offer. If that’s the case, and the Orioles no longer possess realistic postseason aspirations, is there any reason the Birds wouldn’t flip the infielder for a mid-level prospect or a few lottery tickets?
It’s possible that Urías provides Baltimore more value than he would to another club. His presence at the hot corner has allowed Mayo to focus solely on developing at first base, and his right-handed bat breaks up Holliday and Henderson against southpaws. He entered last night’s game ranked fifth on the team in hits with 53.
The currently constructed roster needs Urías in the lineup almost every night, and reinforcements may not be on the way. Westburg’s recent finger injury appears to be something that will linger, and Gary Sánchez could cool off at a moment’s notice. Mateo will now miss 8-to-12 weeks with a hamstring injury. O’Neill is well acquainted with the injured list, and there’s no telling when another injury could present itself.
After years of glory, Baltimore’s farm system no longer boasts several high-profile infield prospects. Samuel Basallo could spend some time at first base once he debuts, but that’s really it. All of the top prospects have either debuted or found their way to another organization.
Urías has only been a slightly above average hitter this season (103 OPS+), but he’s one of the longest tenured guys on the roster. Nobody in that clubhouse will downplay his value, and Tony Mansolino would have a harder time replacing Urías than anyone may have anticipated when he was claimed in 2020.
There’s definitely a world where Urías finds a new team at the trade deadline, but don’t be surprised if the holdout finds a way to stick with the O’s again.