Baltimore Orioles Top Prospect’s Demotion Has Long-Term Benefit

With Jackson Holliday returning to Triple-A, the Baltimore Orioles get a long-term benefit out of that decision.

Apr 23, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles sent their top prospect, Jackson Holliday, back to Triple-A earlier this week.

He is as widely respected as any prospect in the game, but even the son of former Major League star Matt Holliday struggled in his first stretch in the big leagues.

Holliday batted .059 and struck out in 18 of his 36 at-bats before the Orioles sent him back to Norfolk, where the left-handed hitting Holliday will continue to work on batting against left-handed pitching.

Sending Holliday back to the minors makes sense, and not just for the young star’s confidence and development.

When the Orioles left Holliday off their Opening-Day roster, there was a belief that it was partly about not starting his service time and preserving an extra year of arbitration. A full year of service time in 2024 would mean that he could become a free agent after the 2029 season, which would be six seasons in MLB.

Well, by sending Holliday down now, USA Today reports that he won’t be able to get credit for that full year of service time. That means that the Orioles would control his rights through the 2030 season, effectively controlling where he goes for an extra year.

If you’re thinking about the future, it’s a wise business move for the Orioles. Holliday is 20 and even in 2030, he’ll be entering the prime years of his career.

There is one way for Holliday to counteract it, but he has to return to the Majors first. For Holliday to get full credit for the 2024 season, he would need to finish either first or second in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Developing Holliday’s incredible talent is the first priority. He could be a cornerstone of the franchise for the next decade.

But, an extra year of team control doesn’t hurt.