Trade Deadline Outlook: Baltimore Orioles

After back-to-back playoff appearances, Baltimore finished at the bottom of the division last season. The Orioles made multiple splashes over the winter, both in free agency and the trade market, in an effort to compete in the challenging AL East. For most of the first half, the club appeared likely to fall short again under new manager Craig Albernaz. A four-game win streak heading into the All-Star break and a sweep of the Astros to open the second half have opened the possibility of contending in 2026.

Baltimore is still three games below .500, but in the American League, that’s within shouting distance of the final Wild Card spot. The surging Red Sox took over the final postseason position with a ridiculous 15-game win streak. The Orioles halted the run on Wednesday and now sit three games behind Boston.

The watered-down nature of the AL could encourage the Orioles to at least explore buying at the trade deadline. President of operations Mike Elias could have a foot in both the buyer and seller camps come August.

Record: 50-53 (23.4% playoff odds, per FanGraphs)

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Sell Mode

Impending Free Agents: Taylor Ward, Trevor Rogers, Andrew Kittredge, Chris Bassitt, Zach Eflin, Keegan Akin, Ryan Mountcastle (2027 club option)

Baltimore boasts the rental player trifecta: righty-swinging outfielder, mid-rotation starter, non-closer with late-inning experience. Elias should be fielding calls from all types of contenders given the movable options at his disposal. The back half of the list has disqualified itself due to injury, but the first three names are intriguing.

Ward came to the Orioles in a fascinating one-for-one deal that sent oft-injured righty Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels. It’s been a clear win for Baltimore, as Rodriguez has only been healthy for eight starts, and the results have been miserable (8.23 ERA, 1.77 WHIP). Ward has been valuable in a super weird way. He’s walking a ton, hitting for no power, and playing a solid left field.

The 32-year-old Ward has been far from the slugger Elias and company thought they were getting after a 36-homer, 103-RBI campaign in 2025. He’s hit just seven home runs and knocked in 27 through 102 games. Ward didn’t homer at Camden Yards until July. But a massive 17.1% walk rate has spurred a career-best .387 OBP, which ranks 10th in the league. Ward’s 120 wRC+ is his best mark since his breakout 2022 season. His 4 Defensive Runs Saved in left field are his best output as a big leaguer. Ward is making $12.175MM in his final year of arbitration. He’s a clear fit for any team in need of help in the corner outfield.