The Orioles don’t have to choose between selling and staying alive in the Wild Card race. That’s the central twist here: moving veterans could actually make the day-to-day team better, not worse.
That’s why the clearest path forward is to deal off the failed young core, clear out the expiring contracts, and start aiming at 2027. The roster, as it stands, is already stuck below .500 and still hanging around the edge of the third Wild Card picture. Selling doesn’t have to push it off the map.
There’s even a case that subtracting two outfielders would sharpen the group immediately. Trading Taylor Ward and Colton Cowser could open the door to better outfield defense, better production, and a cleaner fit for where the offense needs to go.
Ward has just one homer and 10 RBIs at Camden Yards this season, with no power, and he can’t handle left field. Cowser, meanwhile, has a sub-.450 OPS this season outside the three-week stretch when he hit all eight of his homers and drove in 20 of his 28 RBIs.
If Ward goes, Dylan Beavers could take over the leadoff role. He could outproduce Ward from the left side, get on base around 35% of the time, and bring real stolen-base value.
That would also keep Ward out of the cleanup spot, where he bats when he doesn’t lead off. With Samuel Basallo back from the IL in August, he would slide back into the four hole.
A Ward-Cowser move could also create a path for Enrique Bradfield, Jr., and that’s where the defense could take a real jump. Bradfield can handle center field right now, he can steal a base whenever needed, and he can bunt. The Orioles have clearly been leaning into smallball, so the fit is obvious.
The catching situation points in the same direction. Adley Rutschman has not offered much in over two years, is always hurt, and has caught far less than half of the team’s games since June 21, 2024.
He has one homer and 17 RBIs total as a DH since that date. Since May 1 of this season, he has played 51 games, logged 220 plate appearances, and hit .218/.309/.362 with four homers and 30 RBIs.
By contrast, the Orioles are 24-27 when Rutschman catches this season and 25-21 when Basallo is behind the plate.
The bullpen and rotation pieces on expiring deals also make sense to move. Trevor Rogers is the one who would sting the most, but there’s also reason to think he may not hold up in a pennant chase.
He will be in demand, and the Orioles can always try to bring him back. Andrew Kittredge has been excellent lately, but he has already broken down once this season and his deal is up.
Rico Garcia has been one of the worst relievers in baseball since June 1, so any return would be a win.
Even with those departures, the argument is that the Orioles could still sit around .500, maybe better, if they keep Tyler Wells and bring back a young swing-and-miss arm in the process. Selling, in this case, would not have to mean surrendering the season. It could mean improving the roster while finally facing what this one is.
In Other News...
Orioles May Have Found A Deadline Answer They Cannot Ignore
With the Orioles still hanging around the playoff picture, the front office is staring at a familiar deadline balancing act: move some veterans on expiring deals, but also try to come away with players who can help beyond this season. That is the tricky middle ground for a club that is close enough to push, yet still has several teams to climb past, and it is why every rumor this time of year gets filtered through both the present and the future.
According to a report from The Athletic, Miami is open to dealing from a group of young players who could fit Baltimores needs, and that is the kind of market the Orioles have to take seriously. Their outfield remains thin, and the search for a right-handed power bat has been a long-running issue, so the possibility of adding a controllable piece with some upside gives this deadline a different feel than a simple sell-off. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans May Not Be Ready For How Far This Selloff Goes
The Orioles are heading toward the trade deadline with the kind of uncertainty that can make even a familiar roster feel suddenly fluid. Baltimore looks positioned as a seller, and the conversation around the club has moved well beyond the usual rental chatter, with names such as Adley Rutschman, Trevor Rogers, Taylor Ward, Rico Garcia and Andrew Kittredge all surfacing as possible chips if the front office decides to reshape the roster aggressively.
What makes this stretch so uneasy for fans is how many more layers could still be added to the selloff. Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser have also come up as possibilities, and the Orioles could find themselves in the middle of talks with teams like the Brewers, Dodgers, Rays and Yankees depending on how the market develops. Even the return packages are being mapped out in broad strokes, which is usually a sign that Baltimores deadline story may not stop with a few obvious moves. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans May Not Be Ready For This Adley Decision
The Orioles catcher picture has gotten crowded in a hurry, and that alone has made Adley Rutschmans place in the organization feel a little less settled than it used to. Baltimore has been adding and cycling through backstops, piling up options behind the plate while also trying to sort out how the roster fits around one of the franchises most recognizable players.
For a team that once talked about Rutschman as a foundational piece, the current direction has raised more questions than answers about his role, his workload and even where his development is headed next. Mike Elias has been operating with a long view, and the way the catching depth chart is being built suggests the Orioles may be preparing for a future that looks different than the one fans expected. [Read more 🡒]