The MLB trade deadline chatter is starting to sound a lot less like background noise and a lot more like something real.
Tarik Skubal’s outing on Wednesday may have felt like a normal start on the surface, but the context around it was impossible to miss. The Orioles beat the Tigers 10-9, and when Skubal walked off in the seventh inning, Detroit fans gave him a loud ovation.
Around the league, the expectation is building that the two-time Cy Young winner could be on the move before Monday’s deadline. That said, Detroit still could decide to keep him.
Baltimore, meanwhile, has its own big-name question hanging in the air. The Orioles are 53-56 and sitting in fourth place in the American League East, 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
They are also only two games out of an AL Wild Card spot, which makes their deadline path a little murkier. One possibility now back in the conversation: Adley Rutschman.
Rutschman had faded from the rumor mill after earlier speculation, but MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the All-Star catcher could still be available. He also named the Yankees as one of the teams that could be involved if Baltimore decides to listen.
“Yankees are among many teams to check on 3-time All-Star/switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman. NYY is casting a wide net for catching need.
Ryan Jeffers, pending free agent, seemed logical but Twins suggest they’re a buyer now. Tyler Stephenson, others are on NYY list,” Heyman reported.
If Baltimore did move Rutschman, it would not automatically mean the Orioles are tearing things down. They could still try to strengthen other parts of the roster while leaning toward Samuel Basallo as the catcher of the future.
Basallo, though, is currently injured. Rutschman is under team control through the 2027 campaign, so trading him now would be about maximizing value, though the Orioles could also explore an extension.
The Yankees are clearly doing their homework. Manager Aaron Boone said he has been talking with general manager Brian Cashman and the front office about possible moves. New York has been tied not only to Rutschman, but also to Skubal as it looks for help behind the plate and elsewhere.
Skubal has also been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that fit has picked up steam because of Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury. MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network said Wednesday that the Dodgers’ pursuit has grown for that reason.
“The Dodgers’ interest in Tarik Skubal has increased due to questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch, as I reported on @MLBNetwork earlier,” MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Wednesday.
Elsewhere in the National League, the Phillies are dealing with a little deadline tension of their own. Bryce Harper said in an interview Tuesday that the team needs “help” before the deadline, and interim general manager Don Mattingly did not exactly embrace the comment.
“I don't like it from the fact of… You're saying you don't like our players,” Mattingly said, via Foul Territory and Tyler Boronski. “… When you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like.”
Philadelphia is hoping the noise stays just that, because the club could use upgrades, especially in the lineup, before Monday arrives.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
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 🡒]