Orioles Trade Rumors: Separating Reality From Fiction at the Deadline

The cards are on the table for the Orioles front office. Can they make the right decision come Aug. 3?

Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitching in the first innings agains the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We are just a week away from the MLB trade deadline and Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias has yet to make any moves.

The O’s are in an awkward position going into August, they are two games from a third-place spot in the Wild Card.

Elias will have to decide if he’s going all in for the postseason (which it may already be too late for) or building for the future (something he’s failed at doing for the last eight years).

What Elias Needs To Avoid

If there’s one thing Elias loves doing, it’s renting players. Eloy Jimenez, Austin Slater, Jack Flaherty, and even Corbin Burnes make up the seemingly never-ending list of guys that Elias keeps for a season and then hands off to the next team.

Let’s say he continues with this approach and picks up a middle of the order bat to add some contact and maybe a little speed to the lineup. Unfortunately, whether he knows this or not, one or two of these guys just won’t be enough to make it far in October. He’s gone too long without building an established roster with outfielders like Taylor Ward and Leody Taveras, who, you guessed it, we’ll never see in an Orioles uniform again after the season.

Where To Go From Here

So, we’ve established that Elias can’t rely on a rental bat to light the postseason flame, so what should he do?

Well, the best talent in the Orioles minor league system has either barely reached or hasn’t reached the AA level yet. LHP Joseph Dzierwa, a 6’8’’ 200 lb. prospect in AA Chesapeake sits as the top pitcher in the list, demonstrating mastery of his pitch mix alongside his major league velocity. Other top names include outfielder Nate George and 2B/OF Aron Estrada, who are currently in high-A Frederick.

With these guys slated for a 2028 MLB call-up, Elias will want to stack up on players like this for when the time comes for them to prove themselves in the big leagues. Specifically, he needs to focus on pitchers and outfielders.

As mentioned, the current O’s outfield is filled with short-term players alongside disappointing seasons from guys like Colton Cowser (OPS under .650) and Tyler O’Neill (.294 OBP). Pitching, on the other hand, has had its own issues. injuries in Zach Eflin and Chris Bassitt put a damper on the rotation early in the season, paired with Elias’ lack of developing minor league talent (besides Brandon Young) reduce the quality and quantity in long-term depth.

Who’s Out There?

Looking around the league, there is plenty of talent in the top 100 prospect list that Elias can look at.

For an outfielder, there’s Justin Gonzales, a high-A bat in the Red Sox organization that includes a 6’4” 210 lb. frame and “the most raw power in the system”. For the pitcher position, a great example of what the O’s need is a guy like Christian Zazueta, a 21-year-old righty in the Dodgers organization whose heater operates at 92-95 mph and touches 97 with a flat approach angle, plus plenty of carry and arm side run.

Guys like this who can control their stuff is something the current O’s AAA prospects like Trey Gibson and Nestor German are lacking, so now would be the perfect time for Elias and his front office to work on fixing this problem.

Elias has never been shy to sell at the deadline, and in a year where prospect-hunting should be a top priority, he needs to consider trading players like Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo before they lose their value in the market, not to mention the growing rumors of Adley Rutschman’s future without the Orioles.

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