Jordan Westburg

All right, after reviewing my bold predictions from the season, let's give you a new set of predictions.

My three bold predictions for the Orioles offseason, even with the lockout coming into play on December 1st, what are the Orioles going to do this winter, either before the lockout or after it ends, hopefully at some point in early 2027? First Orioles bold offseason prediction, the Orioles will trade Jordan Westberg.

To who or for whom, I do not know.

But the way Mike Elias talked about Westberg last Monday in the postseason press conference when he was asked about him, Westberg, of course, getting Tommy John surgery as a position player, missed the entire 2026 season, has missed large chunks of the previous two seasons as well with injury.

And Elias' answer was fairly elusive and kind of just like, hey, you know, we're not sure where he fits in because we're not sure about his health or his timeline.

coming back that's not a direct quote more of how Elias said it many people have pointed this out including John Meoli over at the banner the last time Elias was asked about a player like this and said something like this he said something very similar about Grayson Rodriguez early last offseason and then what did he do very early in the offseason trade Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward I think between second base and third base the positions Westberg plays you have Jackson Holiday you have Blaze Alexander you have Kobe Mayo you have Christian Encarnacion Strand you you have options there you can sign somebody else in free agency if you want to to get another you know solid veteran type guy in that mix I think if a team really likes Jordan Westberg think he's going to be healthy for most if not all of next season and be the offensive production player we've seen him be when he can actually stay on the field that's just his number one issue if you can maximize Jordan Westberg for a different maybe an outfield bat or maybe a starting pitcher I could see that totally happening Second Orioles bold prediction for this offseason.

One of either Kobe Mayo or Jackson Holiday learns how to play the outfield this offseason and plays the outfield in 2027.

Both have the athleticism to do it.

Mounty, who had a terrible 2025, then played in only eight games early this year for the Orioles with multiple injuries taking him out.

I, I mean with Pete Alonso and then the emergence of Kobe Mayo late this year, the addition of, of CES and even Blaze Alexander, Jordan Westburg coming back, I just, you know, Mountcastle can play first base and that's it.

I just see no place on him or for him on this team.

He's about to turn 30.

If you don't agree with this projected lineup for next year, put it in the YouTube comments.

But I would say you have a lineup of something like Blaze Alexander leading off at third base, Gunnar hitting second at shortstop, Pete Alonso third at first base, Basallo catching, hitting cleanup.

Jordan Westburg, if he's back in there, playing second base maybe, hitting fifth.

Uh, Coby Mayo DH-ing, hitting sixth.

So we undid our bad work with the first two picks in those kind of earlier mid-rounds.

Yeah, don't forget the Jordan Westberg round eight pick.

Didn't play a

single game.

Spencer Torkelson, Austin Martin, Max Meyer, Asa Lacey, Emerson Hancock, and Nick Gonzalez.

So yeah, the Orioles were clearly doing... a money saver strategy and I feel like talking about Heston Kerr said you also have to fold in just what else they did in this class they got Jordan Westberg at pick 30 Hudson Haskin in the second round Kobe Mayo and Carter Baumler were the two like big pricey high school players they signed in the fourth and fifth round and then they rounded out their class with Anthony Servideo in the third round but yeah that definitely a portfolio sort of package for the Orioles and I think Maybe in hindsight, we should have been less surprised by just any surprise pick here, just given the nature of the class as we're talking about it.

And Heston Kersad also had a pretty rock-solid track record as a hitter.

I think for me, it was like, I maybe thought lesser of him compared to the elite players at the top because of the no-doubt corner profile.

where, well, let's go with it.

And by the way, it worked out.

Jordan Westberg ended up being a very productive player.

Not that they paid him massively more.