Accepting the Orioles Fate at the Trade Deadline

By: Mike Patt, DMV Insider

Hello sports fans, and welcome back to the IE Sports Radio Blog. The trade deadline is drawing near in the MLB, and for the Baltimore Orioles, it is time to accept their fate. The team sits at 36-47, which is good for last place in the AL East and third worst in the American League (only the White Sox and A's are worse). It also puts them 6.5 games out of the last wild card spot, which doesn't sound too bad but is made worse by having to pass SEVEN teams in order to get there. We need to face reality; this team has virtually no shot at a post-season appearance in 2025.

Now that we have accepted this (much of the fanbase has, but there are some still holding out hope), let's look ahead to that deadline. As is the case with most teams several years into a rebuild, some interesting names are coming up in trade conversations. The younger part of the core is virtually untouchable. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holiday, Colton Cowser, and Adley Rutschman are most certainly off limits. There are few others on that list, but you get the picture. Outside of those guys, the discussions become much more interesting.

Before we dive into specifics, let's eliminate some pitchers from the list as well. First, any pitcher who is recovering from injury/on the IL should not be traded. 1) their value is low right now, 2) not many teams want to trade for injured players (although there is ONE injured player below). Additionally, any pitcher with two+ years of control left should not be moved. That eliminates most of the Bullpen and a few starters. Beyond that, let's get to it:

Likely Trade Candidates: OF Cedric Mullins, OF Ramon Laureano, 3B Ramon Urias, RP Gregory Soto, RP Seranthony Dominguez

Let's start with the obvious. Mullins has been mentioned in discussions for weeks now with multiple teams. As a pending free agent who is unlikely to re-sign, now is the time (sadly) to move on. Urias has been with the team almost as long as Mullins. He has a bit more control, but the infield is getting more crowded, and he continues to show that deserves playing time elsewhere. Laureano signed a one-year deal with a 2026 option, so the value is good, and his play has been solid. Soto and Dominguez are pending free agent relievers sporting sub 3.5 ERAs who can bolster the middle of a contending bullpen. This group combined should fetch a decent return.

Interesting Cases: 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn

We have seven players (I know, a lot) I consider interesting cases. The first is O'Hearn, who is quite likely to be traded. The combo 1B/DH/occasional corner OF is having a career year and could start at DH in the all-star game. He has been the heart of the team in 2025, and it would be tough to see him leave. He is a pending free agent, which makes him an obvious move. Some of the trade proposals I have seen for him border on the absurd, and if a deal like that is offered, the team has to act.

C Gary Sanchez

Sanchez has had quite the season so far. He started off terribly, landed on the IL, and came back to start ripping the cover off the ball. He has been the best hitter for the O's the past two weeks, and if that continues to the all-star break, teams will be calling for his services. The defense has been bad, but whoever makes a deal will find a way to make it work. His one-year deal (similar to Laureano) helps the cause as well.

RP Felix Bautista

The man of many nicknames appears to be healthy after missing more than a year to injury. He has converted 16 of 17 save opportunities and been one of the best relievers on the team. Bautista's situation has a lot of components to it. On the one hand, he is coming off and injury and has good control left. On the other, teams may give up the farm for a quality closer. This one is tough, and it's 50/50 what happens at this point.

1B Ryan Mountcastle

This might be the most interesting name on the team. Mountcastle was one of the key players of the rebuild. There have been times where he looked like a cornerstone of the franchise, but this year has not been kind. His power has continued to decline, and injury will keep him out until after the deadline. The emergence of Coby Mayo and pending emergence of Samuel Basallo create drama at first base. My instincts say he stays put, but is the team in a tough spot here? There could be a conversation.

SPs Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano

I lump these starters together because they are in similar spots. Eflin begun the season well before injury threw off his momentum. He came back and looked okay before his most recent starts. Sugano was the best starter on the team from mid-April to early-June, but that has changed the rest of June. So basically, both look great earlier in the season and now have stunk over the past few weeks. Their trade value might be plummeting, and that would make a deal inopportune at this time.

It is difficult to say what the team could receive for the interesting cases. I doubt anyone outside of O'Hearn and Bautista receive significant offers. If Eflin and Sugano return to form, that could change. I do not believe all eleven players I have listed here get traded, at least not without a lot of guys getting healthy very quickly. If the stars align, it's not impossible to see, but there is a chance. That could lead to as busy a trade deadline as we have seen for the Orioles, should they commit fully to doing so.

There is a chance that this team is not major sellers at the deadline. However, Baltimore would have to go 45-34 (.570 win%) just to get to .500 by the end of the season, and 49-30 (.620 win%) to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. Based on how they have played so far, both numbers seem far-fetched. Might as well sell now and pick up some prospects to reset for the future. If the right deals come calling, they cannot say no. Thank you for reading, and we will see you next time on IE Sports Radio; your direct feed for ALL that is sports.