With the MLB trade deadline a week away, Mike Elias still hasn’t pushed a button, and the Orioles are sitting in a tricky spot as August approaches. Baltimore is two games out of a third-place Wild Card position, which leaves Elias staring at a decision that could define the rest of the season: chase the postseason or start thinking more seriously about what comes next.
The problem is that the rental route has become a familiar one in Baltimore. Elias has leaned on short-term additions before, bringing in players like Eloy Jimenez, Austin Slater, Jack Flaherty, and Corbin Burnes, only to move on from them after a season.
If that’s the plan again, the Orioles could look to add a middle-of-the-order bat with some contact and maybe a little speed. But one or two quick fixes won’t be enough to carry a team deep into October, especially with the roster still lacking the kind of established outfield core Elias has failed to build over the last eight years.
That’s why the bigger question is whether Baltimore should be shopping for future pieces instead of patching over current holes. The Orioles’ best minor league talent is still mostly in the lower levels, with the top names either just getting to Double-A or not there yet.
Left-hander Joseph Dzierwa, a 6’8’’ 200 lb. prospect in AA Chesapeake, is the system’s top pitcher and has shown command of his pitch mix along with major league velocity. Outfielder Nate George and 2B/OF Aron Estrada are also among the organization’s best prospects, and both are currently in high-A Frederick.
Those players are viewed as 2028 MLB call-up types, which makes this the time for Elias to keep stocking the cupboard for when they’re ready. The areas that stand out most are pitching and outfield help, and that lines up with where Baltimore’s current roster has been thin.
The outfield has been a mix of short-term pieces and underwhelming production, including Colton Cowser’s OPS under .650 and Tyler O’Neill’s .294 OBP. The rotation has had its own setbacks, with injuries to Zach Eflin and Chris Bassitt hurting the group early, while the lack of homegrown pitching depth beyond Brandon Young has left the organization short on long-term options.
There are targets elsewhere in the league if Elias wants to think bigger than a one-month fix. In the Red Sox system, Justin Gonzales stands out as a high-A outfielder with a 6’4” 210 lb. frame and “the most raw power in the system”. On the pitching side, Christian Zazueta fits the kind of arm Baltimore could use: a 21-year-old right-hander in the Dodgers organization whose heater sits at 92-95 mph, touches 97, and comes with a flat approach angle, plus plenty of carry and arm side run.
That kind of stuff-and-command profile is exactly what the Orioles’ upper-level depth has lacked, with AAA arms like Trey Gibson and Nestor German still missing that control piece. If Baltimore is serious about fixing the long-term picture, this is the moment to do it.
And Elias has never been shy about dealing at the deadline. In a year where prospect hunting should be the priority, the Orioles may need to think hard about moving players like Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo before their market value slips, while the growing rumors around Adley Rutschman’s future without the Orioles only add another layer to the uncertainty.
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Orioles Deadline Buzz Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
The Orioles deadline chatter has taken on a different tone in recent days, with the front office at least touching base on a few names that would have seemed far more protected not long ago. Baltimore has built its roster around young, controllable talent, so even the fact that trade conversations are reaching into that group says plenty about how active this market could get as July winds down.
Colton Cowser looks like the most realistic position-player possibility if the Orioles decide to move a regular, while the pitching side could also draw interest beyond the obvious headline names. Dean Kremer is among the arms being discussed, and with Trevor Rogers and Tarik Skubal also in the mix, Baltimore appears positioned to be part buyer, part seller, and maybe one of the more unpredictable teams to watch over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Deadline Tension Just Spilled Into A Bryce Harper Conflict
Tarik Skubals start for the Tigers underscored how quickly the trade deadline can turn a routine outing into a possible farewell, and the ripple effects are being felt well beyond Detroit. For Orioles fans, the more relevant part of that churn is the way Baltimore keeps showing up in deadline conversations, with Adley Rutschman drawing attention as clubs sort through their needs and decide how aggressively to chase help.
The Orioles have built around Rutschman as a centerpiece, so any deadline noise around him lands with real weight even before a move is seriously on the table. Baltimore also has to balance todays roster against tomorrows, and with the market tightening for premium talent, the next few days could force the front office to weigh short-term stability against a chance to reshape the clubs future. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Dean Kremer Question They Can't Ignore
The Orioles have gotten enough encouraging work from their rotation lately to keep believing the staff can carry them through the stretch, with Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz and Brandon Young all giving the club something positive to build on. Even so, Dean Kremers recent slide has become hard to overlook at a time when Baltimore needs every start to count and the calendar is closing in on the trade deadline.
Kremers path this season has already been unusual, beginning in the minors before a quad strain and a 60-day IL stint delayed his return to the active roster. Since getting back, he has shown why the Orioles still had him in the mix, but the last few outings have raised a real question about whether he can steady himself quickly enough for a team that cannot afford many more empty nights from the back end of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]