Dec 10, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Baltimore Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias talks on the set of MLB Network at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Orioles Boss Shares What They Plan To Do Ahead of This Year's Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles won on Sunday.

It stopped a four-game skid and prevented a sweep at the hands of the their division rivals.

But no matter what happens in the coming days, all signs are pointing to general manager Mike Elias pulling the plug on this group ahead of the trade deadline to get back what he can for players on expiring deals.

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That's the smart thing to do, especially because the Orioles have just entered their contending window after undergoing a teardown rebuild that abruptly ended with their 101-win season in 2023.

Just exactly how will Elias and Baltimore approach this year's deadline?

He gave some insight into their approach during an appearance on MLB Network radio.

More Mike Elias on the trade deadline:

"You have to weigh opportunities, be fluid. We don’t want to close the door to conversations, but to the degree that we’re going to be selling, our front office is investing its time in setting ourselves up for 2026 and beyond."
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) July 20, 2025

Elias stated that players on expiring deals are "at the top of the list" when it comes to who will be traded, meaning the popular names of Ryan O'Hearn and Cedric Mullins are likely on the way out of town alongside the likes of Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Zach Eflin.

There was some thought that the Orioles could look to get aggressive and try to maximize their return this deadline by putting Felix Bautista on the trade block, but that doesn't seem likely.

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Elias reiterated his belief that Baltimore will be good in 2026, so dealing their best reliever would not fall in line with that assessment.

"You have to weigh opportunities, be fluid. We don't want to close the door to conversations, but to the degree that we're going to be selling, our front office is investing its time in setting ourselves up for 2026 and beyond," the general manager added.

That thinking is also smart.

The Orioles aren't like usual selling teams.

They are just two years removed from winning the most games in the American League with a young core of players, so they do not need to change things, they just need to reset things a bit.

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By getting back pieces that can help them in 2026 in key areas where they struggled this season, then Baltimore should be back to contending for the AL East title again next year with their sights set on a deep October run.

Now it will be up to Elias to get back the best return possible, something he didn't do in 2024.

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

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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