The Orioles completed a seven-run comeback to take two of three from the Tigers on Wednesday. They’re off today and will play a three-game set against the Phillies this weekend as the lead-up to the deadline. Baltimore sits three games under .500 at 53-56 but find themselves in the muddled AL Wild Card picture. They’re 2.5 games back of the final playoff spot (currently held by Cleveland) with three teams to surpass.
President of baseball operations Mike Elias said in late June the O’s were hoping to play well enough to buy. They’ve gone 14-12 since Elias’ comments, rebounding from a four-game losing streak to close last month with a 14-8 showing in July. They haven’t made up any ground in the Wild Card picture since then, however, as the Red Sox vaulted past them for one of those spots with their 15-game win streak.
It leaves Baltimore right on the buy/sell line over the next five days. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports that the O’s are preparing to operate on both ends of that spectrum, entertaining offers on some big leaguers while looking to add MLB help in other areas.
Kostka suggests they could be more willing to move impending free agents Trevor Rogers and Taylor Ward than controllable core pieces like Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday. (Ward and Rogers would each be qualifying offer candidates if the O’s hang onto them.) Baltimore has had discussions on Rutschman and Holliday, but Kostka characterizes those as fielding interest when clubs call rather than actively shopping either player.
It never seemed likely the O’s would trade Holliday, who is controllable for four seasons and hitting well of late. Rutschman is down to a year and a half of club control and a more plausible candidate on paper, but he’s currently shelved by left wrist inflammation. The O’s are also without Samuel Basallo (shoulder inflammation) and currently running with an underwhelming catching duo of Chadwick Tromp and Yohel Pozo.
While the O’s might be most focused on whether to move the rentals, Kostka reports that they are willing to deal one of their right-handed relievers. Andrew Kittredge is an impending free agent. Each of Tyler Wells, Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano are under club control for multiple seasons. They’re all in their early 30s as late-career breakouts, so it’s understandable the O’s would be willing to discuss any of them.
Cano seems the strongest trade candidate of the three. He has rebounded from a rough 2025 campaign to work to a 2.21 earned run average over 36 2/3 innings. His 21% strikeout rate is a little below average, but he’s getting ground-balls at a monster 65% clip — the second-highest rate among relievers with 30+ innings. He’s making $1.6MM and under arbitration control through 2028. Jon Morosi of The MLB Network reported yesterday that Cano was a popular target among bullpen-needy teams. The O’s are still using him more in medium leverage situations as opposed to crucial late-game spots, so they could consider him expendable in the right deal.
[Related: Controllable Bullpen Trade Candidates]
Wells and Garcia have gotten more high-leverage assignments, as has Kittredge. The O’s have given Wells a few save opportunities as part of a committee after the Ryan Helsley injury. The 31-year-old has taken to his first season in a relief role, posting a 2.72 ERA with better than average strikeout and walk rates across 53 innings. He’s making $2.445MM and controllable for one more season. The O’s might consider him too valuable to deal for less than a premium return.
Garcia is a 32-year-old journeyman who is under team control for four-plus seasons. He started the season well and has good numbers overall, but he leads all relievers with eight home runs allowed since the beginning of June. He has an ERA near 6.00 over his past 23 appearances. That should limit his appeal.
Kittredge missed time early in the year with shoulder inflammation. He’s having a decent but unremarkable season, managing a 3.48 ERA with a middling 20.4% strikeout rate through 31 frames. Kittredge hasn’t allowed an earned run this month, but he has given up six unearned runs (four in one appearance against Atlanta last week) and isn’t missing bats at his usual level. He’s making a $9MM salary that is right around market value, so the O’s are unlikely to fetch a huge return beyond salary relief.
The O’s could pair a trade of one of their right-handed relievers with a different move to add a southpaw. They have one of the weaker lefty relief groups in MLB. They lost Keegan Akin for the season and are relying on Grant Wolfram and Josh Walker. Wolfram has decent underlying marks but is a 29-year-old with a limited MLB track record. Walker is a journeyman recalled from Triple-A last week.
Baltimore probably isn’t going to push for the top impending free agent reliever, Adrian Morejon, but could explore the market for a mid-tier rental like Brent Suter, Brooks Raley or A.J. Minter. Controllable trade possibilities include Brennan Bernardino, Hogan Harris, Sam Moll and John King. They could also look for a stopgap catcher, a glove-first utility infielder and/or an outfield upgrade over Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser.
