The Orioles went into 2024 with the hopes that Jorge Mateo could be a super-utility option, providing the sort of roster depth that deep playoff runs are made of. Instead, he was pushed into a full-time role at second base, where he held his own until a freaky injury ended his season in late July.
Back in the spring, much of the talk around Mateo included his experience playing center field. It seemed that he would be transitioning to more of a bench role moving forward, and he would spell Cedric Mullins in center on occasion.