Should Orioles Make This Blockbuster Trade Proposed by Former MLB Executive?

All signs are pointing to the Baltimore Orioles being sellers.

But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be looking into making long-term additions that are going to help the Orioles during this championship window that appears to be open despite the disastrous season that has taken place.

Pitching is a major need, especially in the starting rotation.

There are some high-profile names who should be available ahead of the deadline, and they could make a play for one of them if they choose to go down that route.

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If they do, former MLB executive Jim Bowden put together a trade idea for The Athletic (subscription required) that would bring 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara to town.

In his proposed package, he has Baltimore shipping out pitcher Cade Povich, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and superstar prospect Samuel Basallo to get this done.

That would certainly be a notable blockbuster, but should the Orioles do this?

In my opinion, I don't think they should.

While the shine has come off Kjerstad quite a bit based on his inability to be a difference maker at the Major League level thus far in his career, it's the idea of giving up Basallo that's too much for me.

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Basallo looks like he could be the next superstar in this sport.

At 20 years old, he is raking in Triple-A to the tune of a .253/.372/.547 slash line with 16 homers and 38 RBI across 57 games, a remarkable showing from someone that young at that level.

For a while, there was a question about where he would play when he reaches the MLB since Adley Rutschman has the catcher position locked down. But based on what has happened at that spot throughout this season and how far Rutschman's production continues to plummet, not having another viable option doesn't appear to be wise.

Trading Basallo would be a non-starter for me, especially when seeing how poor Baltimore's offense has performed throughout the year.

The other aspect is who the Orioles would be acquiring.

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While they need a high-end starting pitcher in a major way, it's not a given that Alcantara will return to that level since he has looked like a shell of his former self since coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Through 17 starts, the righty has a 7.01 ERA with just 67 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched for the lowest K/9 rate of his entire career.

Underlying metrics paint a more favorable picture with his xERA being at 4.98 and his Stuff+ being above the league average, but giving up a package that features a potential superstar-caliber player like Basallo for Alcantara would be a huge risk.

Because of that, I don't think Baltimore should accept this deal if it was offered.

Instead, they should use Kjerstad, Povich and another one of their prospects to land a starting pitcher if they want to go down that route.

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