Is Cy Young Winner Potential Baltimore Orioles Trade Option?

The Baltimore Orioles might want a starter to put them over the top, and one particular future Hall-of-Famer could be an eventual option.

May 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have been dealing with injuries in their starting rotation since before the regular season.

In came Kyle Bradish and John Means, who missed the start of the season and returned in the last 10 days. Out at the moment are Tyler Wells and Grayson Rodriguez, who are both on the injured list but should return soon.

Baltimore is the top team in the American League East. But the New York Yankees are right on their tail.  

The Orioles may feel they need to make a move to their starting rotation to bolster it heading into the season’s second half.

New York Post insider Jon Heyman wrote a piece with a list of top stars that could, at some point, be traded this season, depending on a variety of factors.

One of the players he listed was Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

The former Cy Young winner is not off to the best start. He began the season on the injured list with a shoulder issue and returned in mid-April. Entering this weekend’s series at Detroit, he is 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four starts, with 15 strikeouts and 10 walks in 22.1 innings.

The Astros are in a spot, too. They are looking up at every team in the American League West and, entering Friday’s games, are eight games back of the Texas Rangers.

There is still time for Houston to get back in the playoff race. But, if the Astros are unable to turn it around, could they decide to flip Verlander to a contender?

The New York Mets did the same thing last year, trading him to Houston for a pair of outfield prospects.  

Verlander has a full no-trade clause, so he would have to approve a deal. But, Heyman wrote that “…the guess is he might accept L.A. or (close to hometown) Baltimore.”

And that’s where Baltimore enters the picture. He was born in Manakin Sabot, Va., and went to college at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va.

Would Verlander approve a deal to pitch closer to his hometown? Only time will tell.