Despite playing better of late, the likelihood of the Baltimore Orioles making the postseason is still very slim.
A slow start to the year really crippled the Orioles, so despite improving, they have arguably too much ground to make up.
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The American League East turned out to be a fairly strong division with three teams vying for playoff spots. Baltimore would need a lot of things to go right and also to play much better in the second half in order to make some kind of magical run.
With that in mind, it would behoove them to be sellers at the trade deadline as things currently stand.
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Even though the team might have been a disappointment, they do have a lot of appealing pieces they could trade, with their list of options including those on expiring contracts and others who also have a bit more of club control.
David Schoenfield of ESPN recently wrote about Felix Bautista being a great target for the New York Mets this summer.
“New York should think big here. Bautista has two more years of team control on a low salary, so Baltimore could get a lot in return -- and the Mets happen to be deep in starting pitching prospects, which is exactly what the Orioles need.”
After missing the 2024 campaign, Bautista has picked up right where he left off for the most part this season. The right-hander has totaled a 2.73 ERA and 16 saves for the Orioles, which is an impressive first half after missing so much time.
While having a great closer is important, the position can be wasted if a team struggles to have a lead late in the game.
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In terms of dealing their star closer, it would be a bold decision, but one that could fix another area of need. The Mets have a few good pitching prospects that Baltimore could ask for in exchange for Bautista to help improve a major weakness in the organization.
For New York, while they already have their closer in Edwin Diaz, another bullpen arm could give them a dynamic one-two punch in the second half of the year leading into the playoffs.
It would take quite the haul to get Bautista, but all options should be on the table for the Orioles.
For more Orioles news, head over to Orioles On SI.
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