The Orioles are in the market for help, and they’re apparently willing to talk about just about everyone while they try to patch two obvious holes. According to The Baltimore Banner, Baltimore is open to trade offers on any player except Pete Alonso as it looks for starting pitching and outfield upgrades.
That doesn’t mean the club is actively putting names on the block, but it does mean the Orioles know a deal may be the cleanest way to get what they need. There’s also a clear logjam in the infield.
With Alonso at first base and Gunnar Henderson at shortstop, the Orioles have Jackson Holliday, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jordan Westburg and Coby Mayo competing for two spots. Even if one of them slides into designated hitter, there’s still room for movement.
Westburg and Encarnacion-Strand are under team control through 2029, while Holliday is controlled through 2030 and Mayo through 2031.
Elsewhere, the Rays are saying they want Drew Rasmussen to stay put after locking him in with the $20 million club option they picked up recently. That deal makes him the highest-paid player in franchise history for a single season, and it also gives Tampa Bay a different kind of leverage if it ever decides to move him.
That’s the Rays’ usual playbook: secure the player first, then decide whether keeping him or dealing him best serves the roster. They’ve done it before with Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Tyler Glasnow and, further back, franchise names like David Price, Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist.
For now, though, the message out of Tampa Bay is that Rasmussen is staying. Club president Erik Neander said on Tuesday, via the Tampa Bay Times: "Not a declarative this, that, whatever, but I can sit here very confidently and say that every intention right now is thinking about Ras anchoring our rotation and how to make this team better going into next year,"
In Other News...
Rays Just Created A Tough 40-Man Decision For Next Season
The Rays spent part of the roster churn cycle making sure a few familiar arms and bats stayed in the organization, adding right-hander Alexander Alberto and outfielder Jack Suwinski to the 40-man roster while also activating Jacob Melton, Ryan Pepiot and Edwin Uceta from the 60-day injured list. Jonathan Heasley was outrighted off the roster, Evan Reifert went to the Astros for cash considerations, and Tampa Bay brought back right-hander Kodi Whitley on a minor league deal, leaving the club with 39 players on the 40-man.
What makes the move notable is the kind of flexibility it takes away as much as it creates. The Rays protected Alberto from reaching the open market and brought Suwinski into the picture as they continue sorting out their winter roster, but the group now has to fit into a crowded space with more decisions still ahead before next season gets here. [Read more 🡒]