Orioles Best Trade Deadline Asset Should Represent Them in All-Star Game

The Baltimore Orioles were the hottest team in baseball, riding a six-game winning streak heading into their three-game series with the Athletics on Friday.

It is about time the American League East cellar dwellers began to show some signs of life; this roster is too talented to be wallowing in the standings with the likes of the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

This stretch has certainly been nice in what has been a brutal season overall, but it likely won’t change the team’s outlook for where the campaign is heading.

Not quite ready to throw in the towel, the Orioles look like a team that will be selling ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year.

That is a shocking development given the expectations the team had coming into the year, but nothing has gone right for the franchise.

Underwhelming production has plagued them in both the lineup and on the mound, which has led to the current hole they are attempting to climb out of.

Alas, there have been a few bright spots on the team, such as Ryan O’Hearn.

The designated hitter/first baseman/corner outfielder has been the team’s most consistent hitter all year long.

Playing out an expiring contract, he is arguably the best trade asset the team has. Contenders would love to add a left-handed bat with some defensive versatility to their lineup for the stretch run.

Ryan O'Hearn Should Be Orioles All-Star Representative

In addition to being their best trade asset, O’Hearn is also their likeliest representative in the MLB All-Star Game this year.

“The Orioles have been awful, and Gunnar Henderson has so far played a bit below his standards, so Baltimore might have to go outside of the box to find an All-Star. O’Hearn would be a fun one, having emerged from obscurity to become a really nice hitter. He’s been arguably the best DH in the American League this year (though Devers feels like the more likely starter),” wrote Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required).

He has been incredibly productive with a .326/.411/.519 slash line, hitting nine home runs with eight doubles and 23 RBI in 209 plate appearances. His bWAR of 2.0 is tied for the best single-season mark in his career. He also recorded a 2.0 in 2024.

There is certainly a chance that O’Hearn isn’t on the Baltimore roster by the time the Midsummer Classic rolls around.

With their odds of making the playoffs looking long, it would not be surprising to see the Orioles start moving some of their assets to get the best possible return.

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