The Baltimore Orioles face a growing defensive crisis as Spring Training begins, with injuries to key starters Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday forcing a reliance on unproven gloves. General Manager Mike Elias confirmed Westburg is sidelined with an oblique injury, leaving the hot corner to prospect Coby Mayo, whose defensive capabilities were described by Vinny & haynie as a "liability" and "almost clueless" at the Major League level.
The lack of internal confidence in the current defensive alignment has led the front office to explore the waiver wire and minor league depth. The front office has been talking up utility man Blaze Alexander as a potential solution, a move seen by many as a sign that the club does not view Mayo as an easy fix at third base. Despite Mayo possessing a "cannon arm," his struggle to consistently field the position remains the primary roadblock to his permanent residency in the starting lineup.
The Orioles enter late February with a high-powered offense, but as producer Nolan McGraw noted, the "team defense this year could be very, very bad" if internal candidates do not take a significant step forward.