If the Orioles are going to spend at the trade deadline, defense has to be near the top of the shopping list. Baltimore has spent the season juggling too many shaky gloves, and a wave of injuries that began with Jordan Westburg in February and ended with Blaze Alexander and Adley Rutschman going down in July has only made the problem worse. The result has been a lineup full of players being asked to cover unfamiliar ground, and the close losses have piled up with poor defense in the mix.
That is why Matt McLain stands out as such a clean fit.
The Reds infielder checks a lot of boxes Baltimore badly needs. McLain was a first-round pick, taken 12 spots after the Orioles selected Colton Cowser fifth overall. When he reached the majors in 2023, he looked the part of a long-term building block, hitting .290/.357/.507 while giving Cincinnati solid defense at shortstop and second base.
The bat has backed up since then. A shoulder injury before the 2024 season wiped out his entire year, and over the last two seasons he has hit just .210/.297/.338.
But the glove has held up. McLain remains a solid shortstop, even if he rarely gets to play there because Elly De La Cruz is in the way, and he has been one of the better defensive second basemen in the league.
Cincinnati has even used him in center field, and while the sample there is tiny, he handled it well.
For Baltimore, that versatility is the selling point. McLain would immediately give the Orioles a better defender at second base and third base, and he would also be a stronger backup option at shortstop and center field than what they have now when they want to give Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser a breather.
In other words, he fits the exact utility role Alexander was filling before the injury.
There is some offensive upside here too, even if the recent numbers are rough. McLain has shown enough in the past to make you wonder whether a different environment and a fresh set of hitting coaches could unlock more of what he flashed in 2023. Baltimore would be trading for the glove first, but there is at least something to dream on with the bat.
The long-term control only adds to the appeal. McLain is under team control through 2029, so this would not be a short-term fix. He could be part of the Orioles’ roster for years, and if Baltimore opened the 2027 season with both Alexander and McLain as useful defensive utility pieces who can chip in offensively, that would ease pressure on Jordan Westburg’s return and give the club insurance if Jackson Holliday does not stick at second.
The catch is whether Cincinnati would actually move him. Trading McLain now would mean selling low on a player the Reds once viewed as a possible franchise cornerstone alongside De La Cruz.
Still, the Reds have already learned the hard way what happens when a team waits too long for a rebound that never comes. That is how the Orioles ended up with Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
There was also reported interest from Cincinnati in moving another controllable utility player, Spencer Steer, but an untimely injury likely took him off the market. If that is the case, McLain could become the more realistic name for the Reds to shop in search of prospects.
Baltimore may have to pay more than it would like for a player who is currently OPSing .621, but the defensive upgrade could justify it. The kind of package the Orioles sent out a few months ago to get Blaze Alexander might be the starting point: a Kade Strowd, a Wellington Aracena, and a Jose Meija type of return.
An updated version of that deal could look like Creed Willems, Yebier Cartaya, and Griff O'Ferrall.
In Other News...
Orioles Fans May Hate What This Gunnar Henderson Idea Says
Gunnar Hendersons uneven stretch has become one of the more uncomfortable talking points around Camden Yards, especially because it comes attached to the kind of talent the Orioles usually build around rather than question. His recent production has dipped well below the level fans expect, and the issues have not been limited to the box score. The play at shortstop has looked messy at times, and the overall package has not matched the star turn Baltimore hoped to see from one of its centerpiece young players.
What makes the conversation sting is the broader backdrop. Baltimore has spent years selling the idea that its young core would be the foundation of a contender, yet Hendersons slide has only added to the scrutiny already surrounding Adley Rutschman and the clubs development track. When a team with this much prospect capital starts looking at its own prized players through a different lens, it says plenty about the pressure on the organization to prove it can still turn talent into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Benetti Made This Comerica Park Squirrel Moment Even Better
A routine night at Comerica Park took a strange turn when a black squirrel made its way onto the field during the Orioles-Tigers game, turning a standard pause in play into the kind of moment everyone in the ballpark remembered. Orioles third base coach Buck Britton even fed the squirrel before the grounds crew came out to try to corral it, and the whole scene quickly became one of those baseball oddities that can stop a game and steal the attention of everyone watching.
Jason Benetti had a field day with the chase on the broadcast, giving the moment the kind of play-by-play that made the scramble feel even bigger than it was. After the squirrel was finally captured, home plate umpire Bill Miller publicly thanked the grounds crew over the microphone, a small but fitting ending to a scene that had already given Baltimore fans and everyone else in the park a little extra entertainment. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Got Another Concerning Ryan Mountcastle Injury Update
Ryan Mountcastles return hit another snag this week, as the Orioles expected him to begin a rehab assignment but instead had to slow things down again. The first baseman, sidelined since suffering a left foot fracture on April 11, has been working his way back, but Baltimore is clearly not ready to push the process if he is not fully recovered.
Manager Craig Albernaz said the club is re-evaluating Mountcastle and plans to stay cautious before clearing him to play again. For an Orioles lineup that has already had to manage his absence and his recent injury history, the latest update only adds to the uncertainty around when he can actually get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]