Could Orioles Target Intriguing Astros Pitching Prospect at MLB Trade Deadline?

This may be a lost season for the Baltimore Orioles, but if selling at the trade deadline could land them a future rotation contributor from the Houston Astros, should they do it?

Hooks pitcher Miguel Ullola throws a pitch on Opening Night at Whataburger Field on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas. | Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2025 season has not gone at all according to plan for the Baltimore Orioles.

Despite a recent run of great play, the Orioles still occupy last place in the American League East division, and they still sit 8.5 games out of the league's third and final wild card spot.

Help is on the way in the form of players returning from injuries, and there's still time to continue this run and salvage the season, but it looks like general manager Mike Elias will be selling at the trade deadline.

If he does, the team would not be traditional sellers. With the quality of young talent the club has in place, they'd be looking for advanced prospects who could realistically step in and make the team better in 2026 with sights set on a return to the postseason.

Houston Astros Prospect Miguel Ullola is a Perfect Fit for Baltimore

Fortunately for the Orioles, the team is in possession of a few players who could be coveted by contending teams ahead of the deadline.

Chief among them are slugging designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and star rookie pitcher Tomyuki Sugano.

Moving either of those players could net Elias a true prize, and there might not be a prospect on the market who is a better fit than Houston Astros pitcher Miguel Ullola.

According to MLB.com, Ullola is the most intriguing trade chip the Astros have available to move at the deadline, and

"Ullola, the Astros’ No. 4 prospect, has an electric fastball that might be the best in the system," MLB.com beat reporter Brian McTaggart wrote. "He is averaging 12.32 strikeouts per nine innings as a 22-year-old in Triple-A but also has control issues (5.68 walks per nine). He was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month in May with a 1.17 ERA in five starts with 34 strikeouts in 23 innings."

As one of the most effective pitchers in all of Triple-A, Ullola may well be ready to slot into Baltimore's rotation for 2026 if the team were to land him in a deal.

The Astros have a major need in the starting rotation, with six quality MLB starters currently on their injured list, and if the Orioles were to make Sugano available, they could likely be compelled to part with a prospect of Ullola's caliber.