Orioles praised by former MLB executive for work done at trade deadline

The Baltimore Orioles made the most of a lost season in the opinion of a former MLB executive.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t operate at the trade deadline in the fashion many people thought they would coming into the season.

In the preseason, the Orioles were viewed as a likely playoff team with the potential to be World Series contenders if a few things went their way, namely the starting pitching. Many fans envisioned a strong first half leading to the front office dipping into their pool of talented, young positional players to acquire an ace the caliber of Corbin Burnes, who left in free agency and signed a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A rotation anchor looked to be all that was missing, but nothing went according to plan early on for Baltimore. Too deep a hole was dug out of the gate, eventually leading to the firing of manager Brandon Hyde and putting the team in the position that they are today.

The Orioles were shocking sellers ahead of the deadline based on preseason expectations, but they made the most of a lost campaign. The work general manager Mike Elias and his team did drew praise from Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), giving them the superlative of best sellers ahead of the deadline along with the Minnesota Twins.

MLB trade deadline superlatives - https://t.co/S9ItflRyuX

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) August 4, 2025

Both teams tore down their bullpens, moving several relievers to take advantage of the seller’s market with contenders looking to stock up on arms. Baltimore traded Bryan Baker, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto, and Andrew Kittredge from their bullpen to the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs, respectively.

Read More: GM Mike Elias explains Orioles’ quiet deadline on starting pitching

Beyond the bullpen, starting pitcher Charlie Morton was traded to the Detroit Tigers, the only arm from the rotation who was on the move. Center fielder Cedric Mullins eventually joined Soto on the Mets, while designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano were traded as a package to the San Diego Padres.

The Orioles aren’t going to get a pass for how poorly they performed out of the gate, dooming their playoff chances before the summer even rolled around.

But it shouldn’t be too long before they are back in the playoff picture with how many prospects the team acquired, along with the number of players signed in their 2025 MLB Draft class.