Orioles pass on Jackson Holliday for another prospect who plays his exact position

The Baltimore Orioles have baseball's best problem. The O's farm system is so stacked that there isn't enough room for MLB-ready prospects on the big-league team. So, the Orioles have played roulette of late, this time calling up 23-year-old infielder Connor Norby, who was hitting .286/.374/.510 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in Triple-A.

Norby can play at second base or in the outfield, but ESPN's Jeff Passan lists him as an infielder, which means he will play the primary position of one Jackson Holliday.

Norby is older than Holliday, who was just 20 at the time of his call-up. Holliday is the team's No. 1-ranked prospect and one of the best young players in the minor leagues. However, the possible future star struggled against MLB pitching, hitting just .059 in 36 plate appearances for the Orioles after making the big-league roster out of spring training. Holliday received his opportunity and didn't make the most of it, proving he still has to hone his craft in Norfolk.

What does Connor Norby promotion mean for Orioles and Jackson Holliday?

Because Holliday is only 20 years old, Norby's promotion shouldn't bother him much. The Orioles decision to promote and eventually demote Holliday had more to do with external pressure, and the realization that he wasn't as MLB-ready as they once thought.

Despite a tough start to the season, the O's starting second baseman, Jorge Mateo, has been dominant through May and early June. As Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun said, Mateo was one of the worst hitters in baseball early this season but now "it's hard to imagine a lineup without his name in it."

As FanSided's Alicia de Artola laid out this weekend, Holliday's path back to the majors won't be easy, especially if he hopes to get there this season. Holliday has some experience at shortstop, and the Orioles could move the infield around for him. But what does that accomplish, especially if the current MLB product is good enough to reach the postseason as constructed?

Holliday will have to earn his spot. He thinks he's close, but outplaying the likes of Norby and Mateo should be a given for a player many expect to be a perennial All-Star when all is said and done.