What Should the Orioles do at the Trade Deadline?
What Should the Orioles do at the Trade Deadline?
Looking at the Costs and Upsides of Possible Deals
Long time no see! I’m gonna jump right back into the swing of things by talking about possible moves for my favorite baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, at the trade deadline. With the July 30th deadline quickly approaching, rumors are starting to swirl about possible wheelings and dealings between teams. Let’s get into it.
Firstly, let's get this out of the way. The Orioles are buyers. Holding a slim lead in the AL East and needing more firepower to outpace the Yankees, Orioles GM Mike Elias and the Baltimore front office should surely be looking to add pieces for the heated race and October baseball.
With an already stacked roster, where could the Orioles add? With the loss of starting pitchers John Means and Kyle Bradish both to injury earlier this year, the answer is clear: the starting rotation. Corbin Burnes has been the Cy Young caliber ace promised when they traded for him at the beginning of the year, and Grayson Rodriguez has been consistently good all year. But Dean Kremer has been extremely hot and cold, and despite Albert Suarez’s middling form, the Orioles would surely like to have a better option than him come postseason. Finally there’s Cole Irvin, who’s had extremely up and down streaks at times this year. Overall, the inconsistency of the back half of the rotation is calling for an upgrade. Let’s talk about their options.
Garrett Crochet
Crochet made his first all-star appearance in 2024, and won the AL pitcher of the month award in June. With his White Sox going nowhere fast, cashing in on Crochet will be a priority for the Chi-Sox at the deadline. Is Crochet the O’s best option? I don’t think so. This is only his first year as a starting pitcher, having been moved from a relief role. Selling out for a pitcher who hasn’t even been a starter for a full season is risky. That being said, he is only 25 years old, with two more seasons of team control on his contract.
Tarik Skubal
Another first time all-star, Skubal is having a breakout season. A solid starting pitcher for a few years now, Skubal has taken his pitching to new heights for the Detroit Tigers this season. Despite this, the Tigers are sellers at the deadline. Skubal is slightly older than Crochet, at 27 years of age, but he also has two future years of control. Skubals cost would be very similar, if not slightly higher than that of Crochet, and having proven himself before, I would love to see him in an Orioles uniform.
Mason Miller
I know he’s not a starter, but hear me out. With the absence of superstar closer Felix Bautista, the Orioles bullpen is considerably weaker. Replacement closer Craig Kimbrel has been solid, but with his age and inconsistency over the past few years, the Orioles don’t want to take any chances during postseason baseball. Mason Miller throws 100+ mp routinely, and has team control until 2029. Now, I don’t think the A’s are likely to trade Miller, their sole all-star and current best player, especially with so much team control left. I also don’t think it would be the smartest move for the Orioles, but it would just be so fun. (Also there are reports that the A’s would want a HUGE haul for Miller so going for him might not be the best idea.)
The Fodder
The O’s have the benefit of having perhaps the best farm system in baseball to execute any one of these moves. Connor Norby and Coby Mayo are two highly-touted prospects that are very likely to be involved in any blockbuster deal made by the Orioles. Jackson Holliday, the consensus #1 prospect in baseball, is another Orioles prospect that could be swapped for a star. I think it’s very unlikely that Holliday will be traded, however. Kyle Stowers is a solid outfielder who has been up-and-down from the majors, at 26 years old his time is running out, and I think a trade could be beneficial for both sides. Samuel Basallo, the Orioles second best prospect is another name I think is off the table for any possible trade. Finally, there’s Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. Both players are at this point semi-established big league constributers and I think unlikely to be traded.
Overall, there are a lot of directions the Orioles could go this trade deadline, and with their strong farm system, they should be able to outbid any team for whomever they want. All that’s left is to wait and see when they make a move, if they make a move. If it’s one of the guys I talked about here, great, if not, that’s also fine. What would be extremely disappointing to Orioles fans everywhere is if they simply did nothing at all. Mike Elias, your move.