Inside The Orioles

MLB Legend Shuts Down Baltimore Orioles Trade Rumors

A legendary MLB manager weighed in on how the Baltimore Orioles should approach the trade deadline.

Tyler Maher

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The MLB Trade Deadline is still three weeks away, but many Baltimore Orioles fans are already wondering how their team will approach the deadline.

On the one hand, the Orioles are in excellent shape. They lead the AL East over the fading New York Yankees and are on pace to win over 100 games. They don't have any obvious weaknesses, either, boasting one of the best lineups, rotations and bullpens in baseball.

That said, teams can never have too much depth, especially in the pitching department. If Baltimore wants to go far in October, now is the time to add some help.

On Monday's episode of "The Adam Jones Podcast," former Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked to weigh in on the state of the team and how it should approach the deadline.

"Baltimore, they know who they are," Showalter said. "Certainly they have the young players to go get a pitcher, but at what price?"

Showalter added that star pitchers don't always live up to the hype in the playoffs, citing Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and David Price as examples (he forgot Clayton Kershaw). He also emphasized that sometimes it's the smallest moves that pay off the biggest, like claiming a veteran off the waiver wire who fits into the clubhouse and is willing to sacrifice to win.

The 68-year-old former skipper has 22 seasons of MLB managing experience under his belt (including nine with Baltimore), so he's experienced his fair share of trade deadlines. He's seen first-hand how they affect clubs and how they can shake things up, for better and for worse.

Showalter is right that the Orioles shouldn't mortgage their future for the present, and they shouldn't trade prospects just for the sake of making a deal. Baltimore probably just needs some tinkering around the edges, and perhaps another arm or two.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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