As the Trade Deadline Gets Closer, Which Orioles Could Be On the Move?

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No Orioles fan wanted to be sellers at the trade deadline, and GM Mike Elias has a lot of decisions to make this month. At 40-49, the Orioles are 7.5 games back of a wild card spot in the American League playoff race. There is still a little bit of time for the birds to stack some wins and look to add players rather than subtract, but decisions will have to be made sooner than they wish. This Orioles roster is very strong on paper, and they have won 21 of their last 34. Unfortunately the hole they dug themselves in the first 2 months of the season is probably too deep to climb out of. The season may end without the playoffs, but it doesn't have to be a lost cause. The O’s have a strong core of bats like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, and catching prospect Samuel Basallo. On the pitching side, injuries have really hurt the rotation, but they will still have arms like Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, and Felix Bautista under control for a while. None of these players are expected to move, but there is a good surplus of guys who have expiring deals and can add value to teams in the hunt for a championship. Here are a few names that could be moved for young talent. The Orioles will want to target young pitchers that they can develop, and maybe some minor league hitters who have the right tools. Here are some players on the current O’s roster that could be moved for future assets.

Ryan O’Hearn

O’Hearn is one of the best stories in baseball over the past few years. He grinded between the minors and some bad Kansas City teams for years before they gave up on him. He signed a minor league deal with O’s last season and turned into a clutch left handed bat, and now he will represent Baltimore at the All-Star game this year. Ryan leads the club in batting average (.287) and on base (.378) as the best hitter in the lineup this year. He is also a flexible defender who has improved at first base, and he can also play the corner outfield positions. O’Hearn will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, so this will be the only time the O’s can get some value for him. Any contending club would  love a plus left-handed bat with some versatility. Plus, O’Hearn is one of the best pinch hitters I’ve seen, and could come up huge in a key spot during a playoff run. O’Hearn has played his best ball in Baltimore, so it's not unreasonable to think he could re-sign next year in Baltimore, even if he moves midseason. First base is a crowded position in Baltimore. Coby Mayo has played well in limited appearances, and Ryan Mountcastle should return from injury in August. Basallo also has played a lot of first in the minor leagues, so it may be beneficial for the O’s to move on from a veteran to give the young guys more chances.

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Cedric Mullins

Mullins is the longest tenured Oriole, the only player who has survived the worst years in Baltimore and helped turn the club back to winning ways. He had a scorching hot start to the season, and still leads the club in home runs and RBI. Ceddy still can make highlight reel plays in center field, but his advanced fielding metrics have taken a hit this season, due to his subpar arm strength. If Mullins can go on a heater before the end of the month, there will be teams looking for a center fielder. Mullins power/speed combo is rare, but he needs to get on base more consistently to take advantage of his skills. As a veteran leader, he’s done great things for the Orioles organization. But, once again, he is in his last year before free agency. With young players like Dylan Beavers and Enrique Bradfield in the minor leagues, Mullins’ time in Baltimore looks like it will end after this season. If the O’s can flip Cedric to a playoff team for a lottery-ticket minor league arm and give playing time to the next group of outfielders, that sounds like a win for everyone.

Bullpen

The Orioles bullpen has been the strength of the roster throughout most of the season. Last year, they used the deadline to improve their ‘pen with the additions of Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto. Baltimore gave up two pitching prospects and OF Austin Hays in separate deals for the two fireballers from Philly. Dominguez has been dominant this year, thanks to the addition of a new split finger fastball. Soto has had ups and downs, but still has dominant stuff against lefties. Both players are free agents after this season, but if Baltimore can package them together, they could get a nice return. Every team looks for bullpen help in the summer, this is where the O’s can get back real value in the future. Other potential trade chips include relievers Andrew Kittredge and Bryan Baker. Kittredge has one more year on his deal, and Baker has a few more arbitration years before hitting free agency. Shake and Bake has been excellent as the Orioles 8th inning man this year, but he has struggled with consistency throughout his career. It is best to strike when the iron is hot, so if the O’s are ready to sell, their bullpen’s value will never be higher. Even closer Felix Bautista could be an option to trade, but it would take a king’s ransom to part with one of the best closers in baseball.

Starters

The O’s came into the year with a staff that had a lot of depth, even if it was missing a top end guy. That depth has been tested to the extreme, and right now the Orioles only have 4 healthy starters. Tomoyuki Sugano started great, but he has cooled off as the weather has heated up. Charlie Morton has done the opposite, going from the worst pitcher in the league to the guy the Orioles expected him to be. Dean Kremer has been inconsistent, but Trevor Rogers has been a pleasant surprise, posting a 1.57 ERA in 5 starts. Zach Eflin is sidelined with a back issue, while Bradish and Tyler Wells may return late in the season from Tommy John surgery. Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott are both with injuries sustained in the minors. Grayson Rodriguez has begun throwing and expects to return this season. If the Orioles can get some of these arms back healthy, we could see a starter or two get traded for a nice haul. But first they need to get enough guys back to complete a season. Down in the minors, the pitching has been a strength of the Orioles’ farm, but most of the best guys are more than a year away from the big leagues. Pitching in the minor leagues is a crapshoot, teams want as many rolls of the dice as possible. Starting pitching is difficult to find and expensive to keep, so teams are willing to pay a premium. Mike Elias and the front office will be put to the test this deadline. It’s always a challenge to find value, but we have seen them be successful before. This is the same brain trust that turned Dylan Bundy into Kyle Bradish, hopefully they can find another diamond in the rough this time around.