Baltimore Orioles Have Top Two Starting Pitchers Available at MLB Trade Deadline

The Baltimore Orioles have been playing better baseball since Tony Mansolino was tabbed as the interim manager in place of Brandon Hyde, who was fired after overseeing a brutal 15-28 start.

Under their new manager, the Orioles have gone 17-14, showing some life and beginning to dig out of the early-season hole that was created.

While the franchise is not yet ready to throw in the towel on the campaign, that is the direction things are heading toward.

More News: Orioles All-Star Has Quietly Resurged at Plate During June

It would be ill-advised for Baltimore to make an ill-fated run at the postseason given the current spot the franchise is in.

Their farm system ranks near the bottom of the MLB and could use an infusion of high-upside youth. This is the perfect time to do that, as 2025 looks like a lost year, but there is enough talent on the roster to be competitive again in 2026.

The Orioles don’t even need to have a firesale.

More News: Four Orioles Stars Listed on Top-30 Trade Deadline Big Board

Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson isn’t going anywhere, and neither are other foundational pieces such as catcher Adley Rutschman. Given their aversion to selling, it is hard to envision closer Felix Bautista or setup many Bryan Baker being dealt with multiple years of team control.

But, the team does have some appealing trade chips that they will listen about when teams call.

Two of them are on the mound, with Baltimore possessing a starting pitching duo that is amongst the best available ahead of the MLB trade deadline in the opinion of Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report.

More News: Recent Mock Draft Predicts Orioles’ Centerfielder of Future Could Slide to Them

One of them is Tomoyuki Sugano, who signed a one-year deal to come over from Japan.

Looking to make an impression overseas, the Orioles may opt to hold onto him as a show of good faith to improve their foothold in the Japanese market.

No one would blame Baltimore for that, and his value may not be as high as his numbers suggest with underlying metrics such as his expected ERA and FIP being so high at 4.85 and 4.70, respectively.

More News: Orioles Allow Opposing Team to Match Franchise Record in Most Recent Meltdown

A little higher on the list is Zach Eflin, whom the Orioles acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the deadline in 2024.

He was excellent last year with a 2.60 ERA across nine starts and 55.1 innings.

That production has not been replicated this year with a 4.81 ERA across 10 starts and 58 innings. But, a stint on the injured list could have certainly negatively impacted him and a change of scenery, joining a team in the playoff race, could provide a similar jolt and repeat on 2024.

Both pitchers are on expiring contracts, as anyone playing out a deal should be made available by Baltimore to bring back as many long-term assets as possible.

For more Orioles news, head over to Orioles On SI.