The Orioles’ bullpen has reached the point where the trade deadline should be less about tinkering and more about clearing the deck.
Baltimore went into the season betting it could survive without a major bullpen investment, and for a while that gamble looked workable. But once May arrived, the group started sliding hard, and it has been one of the worst bullpens in the league ever since. That collapse has been a major reason the Orioles have kept drifting down the standings.
It’s easy to put every blown lead on the manager, and Craig Albernaz has not always helped himself with the way he has handled the relief corps. Still, the bigger issue has become impossible to ignore: there just isn’t anyone in this bullpen who feels trustworthy when a lead is on the line.
This is not really a group built around difference-makers. The Orioles did not pour major money into it.
They did not stock it with impact prospects from their system. Most of these arms arrived through waiver claims or trades for cash, with Ryan Helsley bought low as part of the mix.
That kind of bullpen construction can work when an organization keeps finding hidden value. Baltimore has done that before.
This time, though, the plan has produced a unit that looks very replaceable.
That’s why the Orioles should be open to moving any reliever they can sell for fair value as the deadline approaches. It does not mean every arm has to go, but it does mean there should be no one off-limits if another team is willing to pay.
The names at the top of the list are the ones with the most value. Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells have both had decent seasons and come with multiple years of control, which means they would cost more in a trade. Helsley could also draw real interest if he finishes strong, especially if the market turns into a bidding war for one of the better rental relievers available.
For everyone else, the bar should be much lower. If another club wants to send the Orioles a 17-year-old prospect from the DSL for Andrew Kittredge, that should be enough. If someone is willing to trade a fax machine for Keegan Akin, Baltimore should listen.
The larger point is simple: the Orioles need a real bullpen overhaul this offseason. They can do it through trades or free agency, but they cannot afford to head into another year relying on waiver-wire fixes and hoping the whole thing somehow holds together.
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