Insider Reveals Baltimore Orioles' Disappointing Trade Deadline Plan

Are the Baltimore Orioles being too conservative with their trade deadline approach?

Jul 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias stands oil the field. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles already made a splash by acquiring Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays, but they may not be done adding to their roster.

The Orioles are reportedly still looking to add another arm to their starting rotation, which lost Kyle Bradish, Josh Means and Tyler Wells to season-ending injuries.

While Baltimore has plenty of trade chips to land a big-name starter like Tarik Skubal or Blake Snell, that would require parting ways with some of the club's top prospects. According to former GM Jim Bowden, the Orioles would prefer to keep their prospects and trade some of their veteran position players instead

Bowden named two veterans as potential trade candidates for Baltimore -- Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins.

Orioles-related notes from Jim Bowden:

-BAL has “serious interest” in Blake Snell
-DET not going to move Skubal unless a team drastically improves their offer
-Tanner Scott expected to be traded in next 24 hrs
-BAL prefers to move Mountcastle/Mullins than part with top prospects pic.twitter.com/9phwSRtEyU

— Dillon Atkinson (@DillonTAtkinson) July 28, 2024

Both players are fairly expendable for the Orioles, so neither name is particularly surprising. Mountcastle is batting .270/.308/.437 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI this season, while Mullins is hitting just .219/.265/.394 with 11 homers and 38 RBI.

Mountcastle, 27, is under team control through 2026. Mullins, 29, is under team control through 2025, so neither player would be a rental for an opposing team. Mountcastle has some appeal as a right-handed power bat, while Mullins is a decent outfielder with some pop and speed.

It's worth Baltimore exploring the trade market to see what it can get for either of them. As Bowden notes, however, the Orioles would likely have to settle for another No. 3 or 4 starter (similar to Eflin) if they're not willing to sacrifice top prospects. That approach would take aces like Skubal, Snell and Garrett Crochet off the table.

Baltimore's front office needs to weigh how much of the future it's willing to sacrifice for the present, especially after dealing three prospects for Eflin. Another mid-rotation starter would help, but likely wouldn't be enough to put the Orioles over the top in a year where they're already considered serious World Series contenders.

Giving up top prospects is never easy. But if Baltimore is serious about winning it all this year, the front office may want to reconsider its strategy and be more aggressive.