Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Pick Up Two Impressive Relievers In Proposed Blockbuster Trade

The Baltimore Orioles could make this blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Guardians to improve their bullpen.

Dylan Sanders

May 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (13) singles
May 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (13) singles / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The Baltimore Orioles are just behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the title of 'the best MLB team in 2024,' but could they get even better at the trade deadline?

The Athletic's Jim Bowden proposed a couple of blockbuster trades and one of them included a top Baltimore prospect.

This trade would see the Orioles send outfielder Heston Kjerstad to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for relievers Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith.

First off, why would Baltimore trade away their No. 4 prospect?

Well, they have a very crowded outfield in the majors and a couple of other bats waiting in the wings behind Kjerstad. As good as he could be, it might make sense to move him and get better elsewhere.

Their bullpen hasn't been awful this season, but it might not hurt to bring in some arms that will inject some youth while also performing at a high level.

Gaddis, 26, has a 2.87 ERA through 15.2 innings of work in 2024 and is under team control through 2029. He has cut down on his walks while picking up his strikeouts this season.

His xERA and xFIP do suggest that he's gotten a bit lucky, but even if he starts to regress closer to projections he'll be a solid arm to keep around for a couple of years.

The real highlight of this trade for the Orioles would be 25-year-old Cade Smith. The rookie has been been very good so far with a 2.30 and 1.43 FIP through his first 16 appearances.

He set the Cleveland record for most striekouts in a debut of two innings or shorter as he fanned five Oakland batters in just two innings of work.

These would be two very promising arms to add to an already okay bullpen. You have to give up a top prospect in Kjerstad, but you have options behind him that make him a bit more expendable.

Published
Dylan Sanders

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders