Baltimore Orioles’ leading scout departs for the New York Mets

Over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles’ top scout left to join the New York Mets.

The Baltimore Orioles may not only face player departures this offseason. They’ve already chosen to part ways with several coaches, and according to Andy Kostka from The Baltimore Banner, Orioles scout Ken Guthrie has left the organization to join the New York Mets. Two sources confirmed that “Ken Guthrie, the Orioles scout who played a key role in signing Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Creed Willems, has moved on to a position with the Mets.”

This opportunity with the Mets should be beneficial for Guthrie, as the team is poised to make an impact in the near future. However, their farm system could use additional talent, making him a good fit.

Losing a scout with Guthrie’s track record of bringing in top talent is certainly a setback for Baltimore. Fortunately, their farm system appears to be well-positioned for the future, and while they still need to focus on adding young prospects, this loss would have been more significant a few years ago. Guthrie has demonstrated excellent talent evaluation skills and has extensive experience in the league.

When he scouted Heston Kjerstad in college, Guthrie recognized that Kjerstad was destined for Major League Baseball, showcasing his eye for talent.

“I first realized Heston was an MLB prospect when I was in the clubhouse before his freshman spring season. I was sitting down with then-Razorbacks pitching coach Wes Johnson, now with the Minnesota Twins, when Heston walked in. He looked completely different, and I knew I had probably underestimated his power,” Guthrie said, as reported by MLB.com.

The team has not yet announced a replacement for Guthrie, but it is likely they will promote someone from within the organization.

Many of the players he scouted and helped the organization acquire may not be on the roster by 2025. This Orioles team needs to improve, and trading some of their top prospects could provide a valuable opportunity.

It will be intriguing to see how this change affects the farm system, as Baltimore aims to ensure they have impactful players ready to come up. This move could turn out to be a small change that leads to significant shifts within the organization.