Trevor Rogers knows exactly where the calendar is headed, and he’d prefer not to be part of the moving day drama again.
Two years after being dealt on Trade Deadline Day from the Marlins to the Orioles on July 30, 2024, the left-hander is hoping this stretch ends with him still in Baltimore. The Deadline for ‘26 arrives Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, and Rogers made his wish plain.
“Hopefully, when the Deadline comes and goes,” Rogers said, “I'm still here.”
That hope fits the way he has talked about the Orioles since arriving. Rogers, 28, wants to pitch for Baltimore beyond this season even though he’s headed for free agency after the year, and he has said multiple times that he’d be open to working out an extension.
What happens next depends on how the Orioles approach the Deadline. If they buy, Rogers stays and keeps pushing toward October.
If they sell, he becomes one of their most attractive trade pieces because of his recent run and the fact that his contract is expiring. If they try to do a little of both, his future gets even murkier.
Baltimore’s position in the standings leaves plenty to sort through. After Friday night’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to Atlanta at Camden Yards, the Orioles sat at 50-54 and 3 1/2 games behind the third American League Wild Card spot, currently held by the Guardians at 54-51. The Mariners (51-53), Twins (51-54) and Astros (51-54) are also ahead of the O’s, who are even with the Tigers.
Still, there’s belief in the building. Earlier Friday, owner David Rubenstein and president of baseball operations Mike Elias said they remained optimistic the Orioles could make a push to the postseason and get on an October run during a press conference tied to right-hander Kyle Bradish’s recently signed five-year, $90 million extension.
Elias also made it clear the next stretch matters. Baltimore has two more games against Atlanta, then three in Detroit and three against Philadelphia before the Deadline, and the club can’t afford to waste many of them.
“We're coming up on the Deadline,” Elias said, “so the next several games are really important, and everybody is really focused on these next several games.”
Rogers is right in the middle of that push, and Friday was another reminder of why he would draw interest if Baltimore decides to listen on him. He worked seven more quality innings, gave up two runs and did it all on 88 pitches, 72 of them strikes. Since June 4, he owns a 1.80 ERA across nine starts and has trimmed his season ERA to 4.17.
The stuff was sharp, too. Rogers produced 18 whiffs, the most in his 41-start Orioles career and his highest total since 2022. His 81.8% strike rate was a career best, the top mark by any MLB pitcher this season among those who threw at least 50 pitches, and the best by an Orioles pitcher in the Pitch-tracking Era since 2008 under that same minimum.
“Rog was outstanding tonight,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He threw the ball extremely well, real efficient, pounding the strike zone. He did an outstanding job for us.”
It’s the latest turn in a Baltimore stint that has already featured plenty of turbulence. Rogers opened his Orioles tenure in rough shape, posting a 7.11 ERA in four starts before being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in 2024. He bounced back in a big way, winning Most Valuable Oriole in ‘25 after putting up a 1.81 ERA over 18 starts and finishing ninth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
This season brought another dip, with Rogers logging a 10.01 ERA over seven starts from April 14-May 29. But he has steadied himself again and is pitching much more like the version Baltimore saw in 2025.
For now, that’s where his focus stays. Not on the rumors, not on the deadline clock, but on the next start and the chance to keep helping a team that still believes it can make a run.
“I love this group. We're right there,” Rogers said. “It was a tough one today, but I trust us to come back tomorrow and get the job done.”
In Other News...
Orioles Cannot Let This Rotation Fix Slip Away At The Deadline
The Orioles are heading into the deadline with a rotation question that could shape the rest of their season, and the next stretch will help determine how aggressively they act. If the club decides it needs help, the market may offer a rare chance to add a controllable starter with years of team control left, which matters for a Baltimore team trying to balance the present with a deeper run ahead.
Los Angeles could be willing to move controllable pitchers as it starts a rebuild, but that kind of opportunity usually comes at a real cost. Baltimore has the farm depth to make a serious offer, yet landing a pitcher with strong underlying indicators despite an ordinary ERA will likely require giving up more than a low-level flier, and the Orioles will have to decide how much future talent they are willing to spend to keep this rotation fix from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Top Prospect Ike Irish Faces A Brutal Injury Setback
The Orioles player development pipeline took a hit this week when Ike Irish landed on High-A Fredericks injured list after a knee injury, a tough turn for the clubs first pick in the 2025 draft and its No. 2 prospect. Irish had been one of the most closely watched young players in the system, so any extended absence immediately changes the conversation around Baltimores next wave of talent.
The setback was part of a rough stretch across the lower levels, with Delmarva infielder Cobb Hightower also undergoing ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair. Baltimore did make a pitching move to help cover the roster, recalling left-hander Josh Walker from Triple-A Norfolk, but the bigger concern for the organization is how much development time it stands to lose with two notable infield prospects suddenly sidelined. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Ownership Just Weighed In On Mike Elias Before The Deadline
The Orioles used Kyle Bradishs five-year, $90 million extension as more than just a celebration of a homegrown arm. At a press conference announcing the deal, president of baseball operations Mike Elias and control owner David Rubenstein both tried to reinforce the bigger message around the organization: the club believes in where it is headed, and it is willing to keep investing in that direction as it builds around its core.
Rubenstein also made clear that the front office is not treating this as a one-off move, saying the team is open to more long-term deals with players who want to stay. With the Trade Deadline approaching, that matters for a club still trying to keep its season on track, and it puts a little extra weight on the next stretch of games as Baltimore sorts out whether its future is best served by adding, extending, or simply standing pat. [Read more 🡒]