Rare Trade Chip Could Give Baltimore Orioles Advantage When Trying to Land Ace

This rare trade chip could help the Baltimore Orioles land a potential ace.

Jul 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias reacts on the field before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

When it comes to making potential trades, the Baltimore Orioles are as well-equipped as any team in Major League Baseball based on the strength of their farm system.

While they may no longer be donning the top spot in pipeline rankings because so many of their stars have graduated from that status, there are still plenty of assets in their minor league system other teams would love to add.

That's one of the reasons why the Orioles continue to be linked with some of the top names who are being shopped ahead of Spring Training.

Whether it's Dylan Cease or Luis Castillo, adding either of the two would completely change the outlook of this team in 2025 with a bonafide ace to lead this rotation.

However, general manager Mike Elias seems to be in no rush to get something done, if he even has interest in pulling something off at all.

One of the reasons for that is the number of top prospects they shipped out last year, first acquiring Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers for two of their highly-rated guys, then turning around and shipping two other potential future stars to the Miami Marlins at the deadline for Trevor Rogers.

Castillo is under club control for at least three more seasons with a vesting option for a fourth, so giving up assets to land him wouldn't be risky like acquiring Cease since he's scheduled to hit the open market following the 2025 campaign.

But, one way Baltimore can mitigate the risk is by using a rare trade asset they have; their Competitive Balance round pick.

That's the lone exception Major League Baseball allows when it comes to trading draft picks, and it's something the Orioles used last year to land Burnes.

Baltimore's CBR pick is in the "B" category for the 2025 draft, which means it will come after the second round is complete and be the 71st overall pick. For comparison, the one they used to acquire Burnes was in the "A" category, or between the first-round compensation picks ahead of the start of the second round. Theirs was 34th overall in the 2024 draft.

While the CBR pick they have this year isn't as desirable of an asset as they had a year ago, it's still something that can be packaged in a deal that cannot be matched by other teams that don't have these picks.

The San Diego Padres in a potential Cease trade, for example, could be intrigued by getting an extra selection in the draft alongside some prospects the Orioles would be willing to deal.

Landing the star right-hander will still be expensive, but attaching this asset as part of the package could help Baltimore land another ace late in the offseason like they have done before.