The Orioles are stuck in the spot that makes trade deadlines miserable to predict: two-and-a-half games back of the final American League wild-card spot, coming off a game Wednesday in Detroit that looked like a team fighting for its season, and still three games under .500 for the year. Good enough to keep believing. Not good enough to be sure you can contend for the World Series.
That tension is exactly what Baltimore showed Wednesday, rallying from 7-0 down against Tarik Skubal to beat the Tigers 10-9 in 12 innings.
It's the kind of win that makes selling feel premature — and president of baseball operations Mike Elias and owner David Rubenstein have publicly said the Orioles intend not to be wholesale sellers. But the calculating front office, also looking to the future, could also go for a hybrid approach: buy in some spots, sell in others, and let the remaining three-game series at home against the Philadelphia Phillies before the headline help decide how much of each.
Complicating the picture: Baltimore has 11 players on the injured list, but two of the more important names on it — catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo — are expected back soon, and veteran pitcher Chris Bassitt may not be far behind. If that group returns healthy and productive, it could functionally work like a trade addition without costing a single prospect.
Who the Orioles Could Trade
Trevor Rogers, LHP — The clearest sell candidate on the roster. His situation is complicated, and it's also not: he's a pending free agent who wants to stay, but no extension has materialized, and left-handed starters always draw a market. Rogers has become an ace and they are hard to find and/or develop. A severe case of the flu in the spring distorted his performance and numbers. He had a sub-2.0 ERA since early June. If Rogers really wants to be in Baltimore long term and the O's have designs on the playoffs this year, they should keep him. But you never know. Milwaukee — tied for the best record in baseball and loaded with prospect capital — has been floated as a "dark horse" fit if Baltimore sells.
Taylor Ward, OF — The other name that shows up in nearly every report. Ward hasn't matched the power that made him a 36-homer hitter in 2025, but he's still getting on base at a .386 clip, which makes him an appealing "professional at-bat" rental for a contender needing outfield depth. With other outfield options, the O's don't have much incentive to keep Ward around, after acquiring him in a trade that sent Grayson Rodriguez to the Angles in the offseason.
The surprise names — ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported that Baltimore has already had trade conversations involving Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, and Colton Cowser — three players who were supposed to be the young core this team was built around. Passan's read: "This young core that the Orioles brought together, that they thought was gonna take them to the promised land, just has not performed to the level expected." They haven't won a playoff game.
Worth stressing: conversations aren't the same as intent to deal, and the price tags likely reflect that. Rutschman and Holliday would require a genuinely massive return to pry loose — the kind of offer most teams simply won't make in July — so "teams have called" is a long way from "will be traded." Cowser is the more plausible of the three to actually move, but even there it's complicated: he's one of the better defensive outfielders on the roster, and he's close with several core teammates, including Gunnar Henderson and Rutschman. That's not the kind of thing that shows up in a trade value calculator, but it's exactly the sort of factor that should make a front office hesitate on a deal that looks good on paper.
Bullpen depth — We could see right-handers Andrew Kittredge, Yennier Cano, and Rico Garcia as arms that could move. Relievers are always in demand in late July, and Cano in particular has rebuilt his value with a 2.48 ERA after a rough 2025. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Wednesday that Cano is "one of the most coveted setup relievers" in the league at this year's deadline. If the O's do unload anyone from their bullpen, it would be a signal of more selling than buying and probably gut the mood in the O's clubhouse.
If Kittredge is moved, it would be the second straight trade deadline where the O's send him away. Baltimore signed him back in the offseason. No hard feelings - last year, at least. This time, the O's are close to the playoffs, as unspectacular as their record might be. They have an owner who prefers to win now. This could be a defining deadline Elias' tenure as GM, as fans and likely ownership are getting antsy for more success after missing the postseason and firing a manager last season.
What the Orioles Need to Buy
- A left-handed reliever — the clearest bullpen priority. No specific target has firmly attached to Baltimore yet, but it's the need every outlet lists first.
- A right-handed reliever, secondarily — depth behind the left-handed addition, not necessarily a second marquee name. Especially if they trade a righty reliever already on the roster.
- A right-handed bat, lower on the list — the lineup is already crowded and platoon-filled, so this reads more like an opportunistic add add than a must-have.
- Starting pitching depth is also on the radar per Fox Sports, which listed Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray as a "realistic target" if Baltimore leans further into buying.
The Bottom Line
Nothing about Baltimore's deadline is settled, and that's the honest state of it heading into the weekend — not a hedge. Elias has the next few days of games, the return of Rutschman and Basallo, and a phone that won't stop ringing or pinging on Rutschman, Holliday, and Cowser to sort through before Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here as it develops. We'll be updating this page.