The Baltimore Orioles sit atop the American League with a 62-40 record (second best in baseball) and 1.5 games up on the second place Tampa Bay Rays.
One of the surprising parts of the Orioles this season has been the starting rotation. With traveled veteran Kyle Gibson leading the charge and second-year starters Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells following, this was supposed to be the weak part of the team. Add in rookie Grayson Rodriguez, and the guess was going to be that they would be the undoing of the young upstart team.
But baseball isn’t played on paper, and the Orioles have actually put forth a stronger than expected rotation. Kremer (10-4) is near the league leaders in wins, Kyle Bradish in ERA (3.29) and Tyler Wells near the top in WHIP (0.99).
Of course, this is a team making a postseason push and working on trying to win the AL East, so there is always room for improvement. With an ERA of 4.54 (17th in MLB) and opposing batting average at .250 (20th in MLB), you would have to consider trades that could and would improve the starting rotation.
So, with that thought process, here are five trade candidates and proposals brought forth to you by this writer. This is all hypotheticals based on player and opposing team needs but are moves that would help both clubs.
So let’s dive in and see what Lets Make A Deal – Battery Edition has in store for starting pitching.
RHP Mitch Keller – Pittsburgh Pirates: 45-57, -11.5 (Central), -10.0 (WC)
21 G, 9-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 137 K, 128 IP
The Pirates are a little confounding when it comes to what they are going to do. On one hand, they say they want to still fight for a postseason birth, their record dictates otherwise, then they trade Carlos Santana, within the division, to Milwaukee.
With Mitch Keller, the Pirates are at a crossroads. As of right now, he might be valued for a good return, but he also is just 27 years old and has two more years of club control attached to him.
Keller, along with the Pirates as a whole, has struggled as of late. Through July, he is 0-3 in four starts with a 7.04 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Opponents are hitting .292 against the young right-hander in the month.
The Pirates are in need of bullpen help, and with their recent acquisition of a teenage infielder with the Santana trade, outfield depth is what is next.
PROPOSAL:
Orioles receive: RHP Mitch Keller
Pirates receive: LHP D.L. Hall (O’s No. 9), OF John Rhodes (O’s No. 19)
LHP Jordan Montgomery – St. Louis Cardinals: 46-58, -11.5 (Central), -10.0 (WC)
20 G, 6-8, 3.37 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 105 K, 115 IP
After a tough May, Jordan Mongomery has been everything St. Louis wanted when they re-signed him in the offseason. The problem is that the Cardinals haven’t been what they expected this season.
Over the month of July, Montgomery has gone 1-1 in four starts with an ERA of 2.74. This comes after “Gumby” posted a 1.71 ERA in the month of June.
Montgomery is familiar with the AL East and would provide an immediate left-handed starting presence, something the Orioles are missing in their rotation.
Montgomery is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, so this would more than likely be a short-term rental. Ironically, the Red Birds need pitching, starting and relief. Also, with rumors of Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson being shopped, they might be looking to find young outfield depth as well.
PROPOSAL:
Orioles receive: LHP Jordan Montgomery
Cardinals receive: OF Kyle Stowers, RHP Justin Armbruester (O’s No. 30)
RHP Michael Lorenzen – Detroit Tigers: 46-57, -7.5 (Central), -11.0 (WC)
18 G, 5-7, 3.58 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 89 K, 105.2 IP
Michael Lorenzen was destined to be traded when he signed his contract this offseason.
The Tigers were in a soft rebuild, and Lorenzen gave them a veteran presence that, if pitched well, would bring in a couple of prospects.
One big advantage with Lorenzen is that he has pitched in relief as well, so he could work as a bullpen piece and spot start when needed.
The Tigers will be looking for young position players, as well as a power bat. With the depth they have in pitching, MLB ready prospects are who they would be looking for in a potential deal.
PROPOSAL:
Orioles receive: RHP Michael Lorenzen
Tigers receive: OF Kyle Stowers, OF Hudson Haskin (O’s No. 13)
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez – Detroit Tigers: 46-57, -7.5 (Central), -11.0 (WC)
14 G, 6-5, 2.69 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 88 K, 83.2 IP
A former Orioles prospect, Rodriguez (traded for Andrew Miller in 2014) has turned into a very strong starting pitcher. On top of that, he gives the Orioles fits every time he faces them.
After a strong career in Boston, Rodriguez parlayed that into a long-term deal with Detroit, which included an opt-out clause after this season. This makes for an interesting trade.
On one hand, you get a proven left-handed starter, who, if he remains, has three remaining years at $49 million, about $16.3 million per year. The one issue is that Rodriguez has had his fair share of IL stints as well, so that comes with the territory.
The Tigers have struggled with offensive production this season, and the Orioles have some prospects that just might help them today as well as tomorrow.
PROPOSAL:
Orioles receive: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Tigers receive: INF Connor Norby (O’s No. 6 / MLB No. 64), C Silas Ardoin (O’s No. 29)
LHP Blake Snell – San Diego Padres: 49-54, -10.0 (West), -6.5 (WC)
21 G, 7-8, 2.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 114 K, 114 IP
The Padres have assembled a lineup that was supposed to rival anyone put forth in the league. What it looked like on paper, versus reality, was two different things.
San Diego has fallen 10 games behind in the mighty NL West, currently in fourth place. With the upstart Diamondbacks putting up a fight with the mighty Dodgers and pesky Giants, the Padres may have dug themselves into deep a hole.
At this point, the Padres have a more realistic chance of fighting for the Wild Card than the division. While speculation is that they could be sellers, especially with the roster underachieving, the possibility is they stand pat as well.
San Diego would be looking for a young prospect starter, ironic trading a starter away, but would be more likely to help next season rather than making a big impact this year.
PROPOSAL:
Orioles receive: LHP Blake Snell
Padres receive: LHP D.L. Hall (O’s No. 9), RHP Carter Baumler (O’s No. 21), INF Maikel Hernández
The one thing to remember about these proposals is that these are all speculative and based on the needs of the other team and talent that would satisfy making the trades. This does not include adding an extra player in return from the other team, but one player for prospects that fit each team’s needs.
I hope you enjoyed it, and as much as we might not want to lose some prospects, one benefit of having the talent depth Mike Elias has built is the ability to trade for any top line player.
The deadline is approaching, and by the time August 1 comes, we will see what happens after the smoke settles. Come back to see parts two and three of Let’s Make A Deal – Battery Edition.
Who do you want the O’s to acquire in the starting pitching market? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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