With chances for the postseason looking dim, July will still be a crucial month for the Orioles, as they decide which players they should keep and who should be available in a trade.
The trade deadline is July 31st, and the guess here is it’s going to be an extraordinarily active one for the Orioles.
Let’s take a look at who are the most likely Orioles to be on the move.
First, let’s eliminate the obvious non-starters. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg aren’t going anywhere. Neither are Coby Mayo, Cade Povich or Trevor Rogers. Other than that, it’s conceivable that almost anyone on the 26-man roster, and in some cases, the 40-man roster, could be acquired.
Most likely to be dealt:
Ryan O’Hearn
The American League’s starting designated hitter, O’Hearn could provide a left-handed hitting spark to a contending team, and his upbeat personality would fit anywhere.
The bad news is that O’Hearn is streaky, and he’s homered only twice since May 27th. During that time, O’Hearn’s average has dropped from .340 to .294.
The good news is that when O’Hearn gets hot, he can provide weeks of power and positive clubhouse vibes.
Seranthony Domínguez
The right-handed reliever’s ERA, 3.15, isn’t terrific, but he hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 15 appearances (16 1/3 innings). During that time, he’s struck out 25 batters and walked six.
Domínguez could help nearly any team in a playoff push, and with his former team, Philadelphia, needing bullpen help, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him go back there.
Cedric Mullins
The centerfielder’s numbers aren’t impressive. He’s hitting just .213 with a .703 OPS. In his last four weeks, Mullins is hitting just .162 with two homers and eight RBIs and doesn’t have a stolen base.
But Mullins can play an excellent center field, and last year rebounded nicely in the second half (.266..831 OPS).
A team looking for center field help could find steady professional help from Mullins in the final two months of the season.
Ramón Laureano
The outfielder played regularly when Tyler O’Neill was on the injured list, and with O’Neill expected to come off the IL on Friday, Laureano might not get as much playing time as he did over the last two-plus months.
Laureano is hitting .279 with an .868 OPS, 10 home runs and 27 RBIs.
The Orioles hold a $6.5 million option in 2026 on him, and with Mullins likely to be gone next year, the Orioles might want to keep him if they expect to contend.
Andrew Kittredge
The right-handed reliever’s ERA of 4.50 is deceiving. After a horrible outing in Tampa on June 18th, when he allowed four runs in 2/3 innings, his ERA skyrocketed from 1.93 to 5.23.
Thirteen of his 18 outings have been scoreless.
Kittredge has a $9 million option for next season, and it seems unlikely that the Orioles will exercise that unless he’s wonderful in the second half of the season.
Gregory Soto
The left-handed reliever, like many other players on this list, will be a free agent at the end of the season. Twenty-nine of his 37 appearances have been scoreless, but when he’s shaky, he’s awful.
On Tuesday night, Soto retired just two batters, allowing three runs on a hit, two walks and a hit batsman. He also threw three wild pitches, half his 2025 total. His ERA rose from 3.30 to 4.11.
Good left-handed relief pitchers are hard to come by, so it’s possible he’ll be highly coveted.
Charlie Morton
In early May, the veteran right-hander was 0-7 with a 9.38 ERA, and seemed on the verge of release, but the Orioles sent him to the bullpen for a few turns, and restored him to the starting rotation on May 26th.
Since then, Morton is 4-0 and his ERA is down to 5.63.
He’s still 41, but perhaps he can give a contender some good starts down the stretch.
Could they be dealt?
Tomoyuki Sugano
If the Orioles had consistent first halves from Morton and Sugano, perhaps their names wouldn’t be mentioned in trade chatter.
Sugano started off brilliantly, but in his last five starts, he hasn’t gone more than five innings.
His season ERA is 4.44, but it was 3.04 a month ago.
Sugano is 35, and the Japanese right-hander is in his first year in the major leagues. After Wednesday night’s game, when he allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, interim manager Tony Mansolino suggested that the league has learned something about Sugano in his recent starts.
What’s left of his $13 million salary may make him too much of a risk to be a true trade chip.
Gary Sánchez
A month ago, the idea of Sánchez as an attractive trade commodity would have seemed ludicrous. He was 3-for-30 (.100) and on the injured list with an elbow injury for seven weeks.
Since he returned on June 14th, Sánchez has hit .327 with five home runs and 20 RBIs.
With Rutschman on the injured list, Sánchez is catching more than expected, but as an occasional backup catcher and right-handed power bat, he could be worth a look.
He is making $8.5 million, and that could scare off some teams. The Orioles could try to eat some of that money if it would allow 20-year-old prospect Samuel Basallo to get a two-month big league trial as Rutschman’s backup.
Zach Eflin
While Sánchez seemed an unlikely name in trade talks a month ago, Eflin seemed like a near sure thing.
Now, the right-handed starter is on the 15-day injured list with a strained lower back as is reliever Keegan Akin.
Eflin’s ERA is 5.95 after allowing 17 runs on 27 hits in his last nine innings (three starts).
Unless Eflin gets off the injured list after the All-Star break and pitches acceptably twice, he seems unlikely to have much of a market. If he somehow stays with the Orioles, he’ll have to pitch well in the last two months of the season to restore his free-agent market value.
They shouldn’t be dealt
Ramón Urías
The utility infielder is under club control for another season, and if the Orioles want to contend next season, they ought to keep him around for 2026. Contenders should want him, and so should the Orioles.
If they deal him, they’ll probably spend all winter looking for a similar player, and probably one who isn’t as talented. He can play all the infield positions and excels at third base.
Félix Bautista
Here’s someone else the Orioles shouldn’t trade. Yes, they could find another closer. Yes, plenty of teams want him, but unless the Orioles are ready for another rebuild instead of a retool, Bautista, who has two-plus more years of club control, should stay.
Having a lights-out closer for the next two seasons should convince the Orioles not to move Bautista.
Note: The Orioles optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk after Wednesday’s game.
Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.