The Orioles may not have a wave of can’t-miss reinforcements waiting to rescue the second half, but there are still a few names worth watching once the All-Star break passes. If Mike Elias does move pieces before the deadline, the door should open for some younger arms and a speed-first outfielder to get a look.
At the top of that list is Keegan Akin, who already had a rough first run in the majors this year. His command was a mess, and it got so out of hand that Gunnar Henderson was hit in retaliation.
Akin showed wipeout stuff at times, but he simply wasn’t around the strike zone enough. Still, if Elias does what the source suggests is the right move and ships out at least one starter, maybe two, Akin looks like the likeliest next call.
Craig Albernaz went out of his way to praise him during a brutal outing before the demotion, and there isn’t anyone else at Triple-A who looks as ready. Akin, an undrafted rookie free agent from 2023, has not pitched since being sent down, so the ramp-up plan will matter.
He owns a 3.55 ERA in Triple-A, but the 19 walks in 38 innings tell the real story. He might wind up more useful in relief, though at 6-foot-5 with a projectable frame, the Orioles are not about to give up on starter upside.
Another arm with a real shot is German. The Orioles went heavy on pitching in the 2023 draft after years of hearing they had ignored it, and German - the 11th-round pick - may be the best bet among the Triple-A options to become a rotation piece for a while.
His command is better than Akin’s, the swing-and-miss is better, and the profile is less extreme overall. A 4.11 ERA won’t jump off the page, but he has been strong at home, has held right-handed hitters to a .649 OPS, and the 94 strikeouts in 85 1/2 innings are hard to overlook.
At 24, this feels like the right summer to give him his first MLB look.
Then there’s Bradfield, who brings a different kind of jolt entirely. The Orioles could create room in the outfield by trading Taylor Ward and moving Tyler O’Neill aside, and Bradfield’s speed and energy would give the club something it badly lacks.
The Orioles have struggled in the run game, ranking 22nd in stolen bases and 26th in stolen-base percentage, and Bradfield is elite there. He also offers true Gold Glove-type defense in center field, something no one on the bench can really match in terms of explosion and twitch.
His swing is still a work in progress, and his development has been slowed by injury - he missed seven weeks earlier this season - but the toolkit is real. In 258 minor league games, he has 159 steals and has been caught only 22 times.
Even with just 12 walks in 39 games this season and a .324 on-base percentage, the appeal is obvious. On a club that looks stuck, he could bring some life, even if he profiles more as a fourth outfielder than a lineup staple.
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Adley Rutschman Just Made Orioles Fans Face An Uncomfortable Reality
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Rutschman declined to get into trade chatter or contract talk, choosing instead to keep the focus on baseball and the present tense. That is understandable in July, but it also leaves Baltimore in an awkward spot, with one of the franchises cornerstone players carrying a future that feels increasingly worth watching as the deadline approaches and the organization tries to balance winning now with protecting what comes after. [Read more 🡒]