Baltimore Orioles Trade Proposal Would Move Heston Kjerstad and Connor Norby

A proposed Baltimore Orioles trade might be a massive overpay as the club searches for starting pitching.

Jun 1, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the Baltimore Orioles losing three starting pitchers to season-ending surgery, they still find themselves in a position to win the division. Only 0.5 games out of first place in the American League East, they have to feel confident that they can get the job done.

However, if they want to win the division, it's tough to imagine a scenario where they do so without landing an arm or two. The Orioles have played very well, but asking too much out of some of their pitchers could become a major issue.

Baltimore understands that and is reportedly looking for upgrades to their starting rotation.

According to Roch Rubatko of MASN, general manager Mike Elias is searching for pitching.

"Meanwhile, he's actively searching for pitching. He's engaged in talks with numerous executives. It just isn't live-streamed on the internet," he reports.

It'll be interesting to see the approach they take at the deadline. They have the pieces to land essentially anyone who becomes available, but does wasting assets on one arm make sense when they probably, at least, need two starting pitchers?

In a proposed trade from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the Orioles would be moving two of their top prospects for left-hander Garrett Crochet, who's been linked to the team plenty over the past few months. The deal involves Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, Cade Povich, and Dylan Beavers.

"Slugger Heston Kjerstad, left-hander Cade Povich and infielder Connor Norby are all MLB-ready pieces that could immediately plug into the White Sox lineup, while Dylan Beavers is also knocking on the door with strong numbers at Double-A.

"It's a steep price to pay for the Orioles, but it gives them a potential replacement for Corbin Burnes atop the rotation if he departs in free agency while also bolstering the staff for this year's playoff push."

Reuter makes a valid point about Corbin Burnes hitting free agency, although there's no excuse for the front office to lose him this offseason. He's proven to be one of the best pitchers in baseball and should be paid however much he's looking for if they want to win.

In terms of moving Kjerstad and Norby, is Crochet really the arm to do that for? There's no denying that he's been excellent in his first season as a starter, posing a 3.05 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.

Still, he's already pitched more this year than he did in the first three seasons of his career. He hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, but it'd be a risky move, as they'd have to hope he continues at this pace and avoids injury.