Orioles Star Reliever Tabbed As 'Great Fit' for Phillies Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Baltimore Orioles have been playing better baseball of late, but it feels like it is too little, too late for them to make the playoffs.

In a deep hole from their abysmal play earlier in the season, interim manager Tony Mansolino has his squad playing at a higher level than they did under Brandon Hyde, but there is a lot of ground to be made up.

Entering play on June 23, they are still in last place in the American League East, 12 games behind the New York Yankees, who won two out of three against the Orioles in a series this past weekend.

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6.5 games back from the final wild card spot, Baltimore would have to jump six teams in the standings before even reaching the Cleveland Guardians in that final position.

The Orioles certainly look like a team that will be selling ahead of the MLB trade deadline in a few weeks , and they should be aggressive in terms of shopping their best assets.

Baltimore has several players on expiring contracts who will garner interest around the league.

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Designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins, starting pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and relief pitchers Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez and Andrew Kittredge are all going to hit the open market this winter.

But it is their star closer, Felix Bautista, who has the most value on the team.

Their level in entertaining trade offers for the All-Star is unknown, but since he is under team control for multiple years, it will take an incredibly strong offer for the Orioles to consider moving him.

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If they do make him available, one team that will come calling is the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Obviously, Félix Bautista of the Orioles would be a great fit, but considering he can't become a free agent until after 2027, the price figures to be very high on him,” wrote Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report.

Would the Phillies be willing to meet that price tag?

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Desperate for help at the back end of their bullpen and with the futures of Jordan Romano and Jose Alvardo up in the air, Bautista would provide the team with a longer term answer as an anchor.

Baltimore should ask for starting pitcher Mick Abel in return to start negotiations.

He would fit the bill as a controllable starting pitcher with upside, something they desperately need more of given the current state of their rotation.

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