Philadelphia Phillies May Be a Match for Baltimore Orioles Relievers

The Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies are a trade match on paper, but can they make a deal before the deadline?

© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have surged out of the cellar. Since July 3, they've won 16 of 21 games and improved to 51-49, two games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League's third Wild Card.

So are they really sellers?

They certainly intended to be in 2022. Coming off a 52-win season, they didn't make any notable offseason moves, but nevertheless improved more than any other team in baseball.

Their window is just now opening. It may make sense for the Orioles to maximize that window and trade aging relievers for upper minor league talent. After the New York Post's Jon Heyman linked the two clubs on Friday, it is more than possible the Philadelphia Phillies could spring for a trade.

Their most alluring piece is closer Jorge López. The oldest member of the bunch, López isn't slated to become a free agent until after 2024. The newly transitioned reliever struggled for most of his career in a starting role, but in 125.1 career innings out of the bullpen he has a 3.66 ERA.

However, the Phillies might be buying high on López. He has a 1.68 ERA on the season, but advanced stats predict regression. He has a 3.00 FIP and 2.97 xERA, both good figures, but neither is elite.

The kind of return the Orioles might expect for a player of his caliber is probably a package of two Phillies lower-top 10 prospects, or one of Logan O'Hoppe/Johan Rojas.

On the slightly cheaper side, Dillon Tate is another name the Orioles could look to move at the deadline for the right offer. He's pitching to a 2.22 ERA and an impressive 2.87 FIP in 2022 over 48.2 innings. He's allowed only two home runs on the year.

Orioles reliever Dillon Tate delivers a pitch at Camden Yards / © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Like López, Baltimore will expect a higher caliber of return on Tate due to his contract. He won't be a free agent until after 2025 — that's three and a half years of team control. But a slightly lower year-to-date ERA could soften their asking price.

Expect a Jhailyn Ortiz and Nick Maton-type package for someone like Tate.

The Orioles have gotten good years from a variety of other relievers, including Bryan Baker, Cionel Pérez, Félix Bautista, Keegan Akin and Joey Krehbie. But none will reach free agency before the end of the 2026 season.

There's simply too much unpredictability for the Orioles to trade away any of these players without asking for too large a return, and it isn't worth it for the Phillies to stake so much of their future on pricey bullpen arms.

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