The 6 Orioles Most Likely To Be Dealt In An Active Trade Offseason

The team is making it obvious they want to do most of their work through trades, and Jackson Holliday won't be the only one on the way out

Orioles President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias welcomes the media and VIPs to the new facility. The Baltimore Orioles unveiled their new Player Development Complex to the media on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. The 47,700 square-foot facility includes indoor batting cages and infield, a biomechanics lab, new outdoor covered batting cages and more fan access areas. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We said our official goodbyes to Jackson Holliday already this week both in this space and on “The Daily Flock” show. It’s over.

In their own way they are telling us it’s over. It was over at the trade deadline, failed baseball exec Mike Elias couldn’t juggle all the sales he needed to make, and came up short, but Holliday was plenty available. Through the Baltimore Banner, and the "big scoops" about all the trades that are coming, the Orioles are signaling the change.

And, to top it all off, the “GM” who replaced Matt Blood is on a media campaign spreading the gospel of the perils of free agency, and how evil it can be (having worked exclusively, by the way, for big market teams who used it extensively), while private equity billionaire owner David Rubenstein has become one of the faces of the upcoming lockout from the time be groaned about a non-existent salary cap among the wealthiest people on the planet at Davos, Switzerland, until his recent yammering about how much money all the owners are making (good luck with that All-Star Game at Camden Yards).

So, yeah, they want to land fixed costs via trades, and they aren’t making any free agent splashes and they’re going to try to peddle their vast surplus of fallen prospects to do it. Even some they are pretending aren’t really available in trade. We’ve established that we strongly believe Holliday – with plenty of assistance from Boras Corp – is headed out of Birdland, but who are most likely to join him? Here’s how we rank them:

1. Colton Cowser

Sep 18, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (17) is unable to make the catch on a home run ball over center field hit by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Elias is trying to rewrite history. Hiding behind a new fake GM and trying to get the faces of his failed and endless rebuild out of here. Started with Adley Rutschman and will continue with Holliday and Heston Kjerstad was gone for nothing in return, and even they don’t believe Cowser is any good.

Playing Leody Taveras (who is gone for nothing) over him all the time last season and even Christian Franklin and Rece Hinds (who is back!) said everything. They don’t trust him to play much, nor should they, and the entire industry knows they need an everyday centerfielder as much as they need anything. Probably package him with something else if you can.

2.     Gunnar Henderson

Sep 23, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) cannot field the ball during the third inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Who cares what was whispered to the local media about Henderson. He’s not signing an extension here and he’s gone by the deadline, and we would not be surprised at all if he’s gone by the lockout. Elias not marketing Henderson to any and every team that needs an upgrade at short or third would be beyond myopic. It would be gross negligence. We would actually want to do this first and then plot out the rest of the offseason around it. You can find a glove-first shortstop to bat 9th to replace him – sadly that’s not something Holliday could handle.

The Orioles got their buddies in the media to keep Rutschman off their top 50 lists of trade candidates for weeks and had them all saying he wasn't going anywhere while we told you all along he was always gone at the deadline. None of this passes our sniff test. Follow the money. Gunnar has no future here.

3.     Cade Povich

Aug 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich (37) throws during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Everyone likes a crafty lefty, he has flashed at times and other teams have had plenty of success turning someone Elias didn’t know what to do with – like, say, DL Hall – into a serious a weapon. I’m not saying Povich is capable of that but Elais couldn’t stop patting himself on the back when he traded for him, calling him a possible frontline starter and it’s time for him to go.

He doesn’t seem to have a future here, a group of prospects are closing in on him, and there is the optics side to this as well, in trying to clear out things from the past that were supposed to be a big part of the future.

4.     Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Aug 17, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young (63) and third baseman Christian Encarncion-Strand (32) attempt to field a ground ball in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This would be a departure, as these reclamation projects are precisely what Elias tends to cling to far too long. But the third base situation is so crowded, and there are so many redundant right-handed bats and he did flash some power, and you could certainly try to get back a fringy-interesting bullpen arm for him or something like that.

The swing is too big, the defense isn’t good enough, he isn’t going to get on base as much as you like, Coby Mayo needs more volume at the plate. I don’t see how this fits and would prefer to deal him than Mayo, and Blaze Alexander I don’t think is going anywhere.

5.     Tyler O’Neill

Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Tyler O’Neill (9) prepares for batting practice before the start of the game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Probably totally wishful thinking here. Okay, definitely wishful thinking here. But if they aren’t going to do much in free agency and the payroll is stagnant, and they did blow through $5M late last season on a misguided waiver claim (Luis Robert Jr), then maybe they will go and get two starting caliber outfielders via trade (again, really wishful thinking here) and pay a chunk of his salary to get someone to take on the remainder.

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