Baltimore Orioles Must Avoid Making This Huge Trade Deadline Mistake

The Baltimore Orioles must avoid making this huge mistake at the 2024 MLB trade deadline.

Apr 27, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Baltimore Orioles hats and glove sits in dugout in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

While the Baltimore Orioles would love to make a sizable move to improve their World Series odds at the MLB trade deadline, they know that it will cost them a hefty price to acquire a star.

They have been connected to massive names like Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal over the last couple of weeks. Both of those players would be elite additions, but they would not be cheap.

Acquiring talent should definitely be a goal for the Orioles. They are a top-notch World Series contender right now and should go for it, especially if the player they acquire has future contract control.

That being said, Baltimore must avoid making one massive mistake ahead of the trade deadline.

Some rumors swirling around and trade ideas have included No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday. Even though getting a proven star would help the Orioles compete for a championship, they can't afford to mortgage their young talent completely.

Holliday is still a potential future superstar. Keeping him and finding a way to help him reach his full potential and come up to the big leagues would be the smart move.

Earlier this season, Holliday was brought up and played in 10 games for Baltimore. He struggled mightily and ended up being sent back down. In his 10 appearances, he hit .059/.111/.059 and chipped in just one RBI.

That showing soured a lot of fans on Holliday. Despite the rough debut at the big league level, Holliday is still just 20 years old and deserves patience.

At the Triple-A level in the minor leagues, the young second baseman has been putting up good numbers. He has played in 64 games, batting .273/.442/.471 to go along with eight home runs and 31 RBI.

Before his rough showing in the majors earlier this season, everyone viewed him as a superstar in the making. Nothing has changed outside of a bad 10-game stretch. There is absolutely no need to panic.

All of that being said, Holliday should be untouchable in trade talks. Moving him now would be a massive mistake. He still has the superstar potential that has made him the No. 1 prospect in the farm system.

Expect to see the Orioles be aggressive at the trade deadline. They should try to acquire a star pitcher like Crochet or Skubal if they can. But, they should not be willing to move on from Holliday to make it happen.