The Orioles are sitting 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot on July 2, and that puts them in a position where a deadline push still makes sense. If Baltimore decides to buy, the need is obvious: this rotation needs a frontline starter.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com pointed to two All-Star arms as realistic targets for the Orioles, one from the Red Sox and one from the Twins. In his view, both could fit Baltimore’s approach.
"Trading a haul of prospects for a two-month rental like Skubal isn't Elias' style, but a controllable arm such as Joe Ryan or Sony Gray could make sense," Feinsand writes.
That idea lines up with the state of Baltimore’s rotation. The club is 40-48, and the group has been hit hard by uneven production and injuries.
Trevor Rogers has a 4.99 ERA, Kyle Bradish sits at 3.77, and Shane Baz is at 4.19. Dean Kramer has posted a 3.18 ERA and Brandon Young is at 3.11, but the Orioles still need another starter to steady things.
Chris Bassitt is on the injured list, and Zach Eflin is done for the season, which only sharpens the need. One more arm - ideally an ace - would change the look of this staff.
Gray would bring the Red Sox a 2.69 ERA this season, and Feinsand noted that if Boston is likely to sell, an in-division move should not be ruled out if the offer is strong enough. Ryan has a 3.61 ERA and comes with a much lighter price tag, while also being 30 years old compared with Gray at 36.
Control matters here, too. Gray has a 2027 team option, while Ryan is arbitration eligible, which makes both more attractive than a pure rental.
There is also a layer of trade politics at play. The Twins may have fewer qualms about sending Ryan to Baltimore, while the Red Sox could hesitate before moving Gray to an AL East rival.
Baltimore could chase bigger names such as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, or Robbie Ray, and even controllable arms like Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, but those are not the cleanest fits. Gray and Ryan stand out as the best matches for the Orioles, and either one would be a major boost if Baltimore can get a deal done.
In Other News...
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The better part of it has come in the moments that usually decide games, with Josh Bell, Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee all giving the lineup a needed boost when men are on base. Byron Buxton has been part of that surge, too, and the broader numbers point to a club doing more damage across the board than fans around here have seen in years. The question now is whether the Twins can keep that level of production going once the season turns and pitchers start adjusting. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Are Being Forced To Reconsider This Team's Identity
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The larger problem is that those bright spots have not been enough to keep the overall standard where it once was. The 2017 club still stands as the best defensive Twins team of the last two decades, and no recent group has really come close to that level. For a current roster trying to win tighter games, that gap matters, because defense is no longer just a complementary piece. It is becoming part of the conversation again in a way Minnesota fans have not had to revisit in years. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suddenly Have A Tough Austin Martin Decision Ahead
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For a Minnesota club trying to balance production with development, that leaves Martin in an awkward spot. The Twins can try to adjust how they use him and see whether a smaller role helps him get back on track, but the longer the slump lasts, the harder it becomes to justify keeping things unchanged. And with other internal options in the mix if the club decides it needs a different look, this has quickly become one of those roster decisions that could say as much about the teams priorities as it does about Martins next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]