How the Orioles could approach the trade deadline, plus more MLB notes

The Baltimore Orioles will be sellers, that much is fairly obvious.

But as they point toward a possible return to contention in 2026, it would behoove them to be buyers, too.

Easier said than done.

The Orioles biggest need for next season, with right-handers Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton on one-year deals, is starting pitching.

Yet, with so many pitchers injured, few teams will be willing to trade major-league starters, or even prospects at Double A or Triple A.

The risk of getting caught short will be too great.

Advertisement Which isnt to say a buy-sell strategy for the Orioles is unrealistic.

Its just that such an approach probably would be best viewed through a broader lens.

Any significant additions by the Orioles might be more likely to occur during the offseason than the deadline.

If, for example, the Orioles best offer for Eflin included two highly regarded prospects in A ball, those players obviously would not be ready to help Baltimore in 2026.

But if general manager Mike Elias acquired enough of those types, he would be in better position to deal from a position of strength during the winter.

Beyond Eflin, Sugano and Morton, the Orioles other potential free agents include first baseman/outfielder Ryan OHearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins and catcher Gary Sanchez, plus relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto.

A fairly intriguing list.

Relievers Andrew Kittredge and Felix Bautista also could be in demand, but the Orioles control both beyond this season, Kittredge through a $9 million club option, Bautista through two years of arbitration.

Bautista, earning a relatively paltry $1 million this season, is an interesting case.

Coming off Tommy John surgery, his strikeout rate from his last healthy campaign in 2023 has dropped from 46.1 percent to 30.1, and his walk rate has increased from 11 percent to 17.2.

So, this probably is not the best time to extract maximum value for him.

And in 2026, when he is another year removed from surgery, he could be an important part of Baltimores club.

At the moment, the Orioles rotation options for 26 include Grayson Rodriguez (if he ever gets healthy), Cade Povich, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and two pitchers who could return from elbow surgeries in the second half, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells.

In other words, Elias will be in the same spot he was last offseason, needing to add at least one top-of-the-rotation type.

Assuming he is still GM, he cannot afford to miss again.

Advertisement Might Elias try to force the issue at the deadline by trading a prospect such as corner infielder Coby Mayo for a high-caliber starter? Perhaps, but few such pitchers are likely to be available.

And contenders are more likely to pay a premium for those arms, placing greater value on what they might offer for the rest of 2025.

In any case, the Orioles course appears clear.

They are 11-11 under new manager Tony Mansolino, an improvement upon their 15-28 record under Brandon Hyde, though not anything resembling a surge.

Their playoff odds actually decreased from 3.7 percent to 3.1 since the change through Monday, in part because of the days that came off the calendar.

Fourteen games back in the division and 8 1/2 back in the wild-card race, with six teams ahead of them for the final spot, the Orioles are almost certain to sell.

If they can buy, too, all the better.

Tigers want to get right One way for the Detroit Tigers to insert another right-handed bat in their lineup is by starting Javier Baez over Trey Sweeney at shortstop, something theyve done in four of their last eight games.

That trend might not continue.

The Tigers remain invested in Sweeney, their shortstop during last years playoff run.

Baez also is regressing offensively, batting .189 with a .457 OPS in his last 23 games.

But the Tigers, like a number of teams, still figure to seek more of a right-handed presence at the deadline.

On Friday, when the Tigers called up outfielder Jahmai Jones to replace another right-handed hitter, infielder Andy Ibanez, manager AJ Hinch told reporters he was looking for greater impact against left-handed pitching than Ibanez was providing.

If you look at how teams manage against us, they generally attack the left-handed side of our team, Hinch said.

The right-handed side of our bench is really important.

Advertisement A number of the Tigers better hitters, from Riley Greene to Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows to Zach McKinstry to Colt Keith are left-handed.

The eventual return of outfielder Matt Vierling from right shoulder inflammation should help balance the roster.

But another right-handed bat would give Hinch even more options.

The versatility of many of the Tigers players enables the team to add at virtually any position.

Shortstop and third base are currently the most in flux, but an outfielder also could work, enabling Hinch to match up based upon which players are healthy and performing well.

McCann waiting for another chance Designated hitter J.D.

Martinez, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and right-hander Lance Lynn are among the veterans who are choosing to remain free agents rather than accept offers they believed were inadequate.

Catcher James McCann, who turns 35 on Friday, took the opposite approach, signing a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves on March 25.

His deal includes a rolling opt-out; if another club offers him a major-league job, the Braves must either promote him or allow him to depart.

But McCann remains stuck at Triple A, even though he entered Tuesday batting .281 with six homers and an .803 OPS.

Im doing all right.

Its the same thing Ive preached my entire career control what you can control.

Thats what Ive been doing while Im in Triple A, McCann said.

The big thing is that rolling opt-out.

That was part of our agreement with the Braves, knowing their situation and knowing the potential of being blocked to the big leagues there.

They respected the 10 years that Ive accrued in service time and gave me the opportunity to opt out, similar to (Craig) Kimbrel.

McCann is married and the father of 7-year-old twin boys.

Is there a point where he might say enough is enough? Advertisement I honestly havent put a deadline on it in my head, McCann said.

I feel like I still have something to give to the game.

I wouldnt be sitting in Triple A if I didnt think that.

If I didnt think I could help a major-league team and perform at a major-league level .

.

.

like I said, Ive got my 10 years.

I would go home and be a dad.

I still feel in my heart I have a lot left to give the game.

The Braves decision on Kimbrel Right-hander Craig Kimbrel, after electing to become a free agent, signed a minor-league deal Tuesday with the Texas Rangers.

McCann, Kimbrels teammate with the Orioles last season and Triple-A Gwinnett this season, expressed dismay that the Braves designated the reliever for assignment Saturday, one day after he made his 2025 debut in San Francisco.

That really frustrated me and a lot of the guys in our locker room were very frustrated with it, McCann said.

It was strange to call him up for a day and DFA him.

Hes not just a run-of-the-mill reliever who became a journeyman after two or three years in the big leagues.

Hes a future Hall of Famer.

Kimbrel threw a scoreless inning against the Giants, but allowed a hit and a walk and needed a caught stealing and pickoff risking a balk on his third attempt in a tie game to escape.

His fastball averaged 91.6 mph, down from his 93.2 average at Triple A.

Im not going to speak for Craig, but he was also on a cross-county flight that morning.

Maybe he didnt have his legs under him, Im not sure, McCann said.

At the end of the day, he put up a zero.

You cant ask for much more than a zero when you take the mound.

The depleted state of the Braves bullpen factored into the teams decision, however.

Grant Holmes lasted only 3 1/3 innings the previous day.

The game in which Kimbrel pitched went 10 innings.

And if he was needed the next day, it would have been his third appearance in four days.

The Braves likely would have designated him at that point.

They were playing each of the next five days.

Advertisement Yes, the Rockies have an attractive reliever...

Ahead of last years trade deadline, relievers with club control soared in popularity and cost.

Teams such as the San Diego Padres (who acquired Jason Adam) and Arizona Diamondbacks (who traded for A.J.

Puk) parted with multiple prospects in exchange for late-inning relievers with multiple years of club control.

A year later, Colorado Rockies right-hander Jake Bird is the latest relatively anonymous reliever to attract attention.

Bird, 29, wont be a free agent until 2029.

Through 28 appearances and 38 1/3 innings, he has a 1.41 ERA and 50 strikeouts, with 15 walks.

Last years precedent showed the Rockies could net a significant return for Bird.

But Colorado rarely demonstrates an interest in selling high on players with club control.

League sources indicated the teams stance is unlikely to change in the case of Bird.

People briefed on the situation said the Rockies historically bad start isnt expected to alter their way of handling the trade deadline, which typically has meant little activity for them.

So while Colorado will surely evaluate all offers, its more likely the team would trade a veteran on an expiring contract like 34-year-old right-hander Tyler Kinley than someone like Bird.

Yet Kinley, with a 6.67 ERA in 28 1/3 innings, has little trade value.

By potentially holding someone like Bird, though, the Rockies would be investing in a reliever who has performed well at Coors Field.

Thats not an easy task.

And its not easy to find.

In 22 innings at home this season, Birds ERA is 0.41.

Still, thats a relatively small sample, and over the Rockies history, relievers find it difficult to sustain success.

...

and McMahon too Another lead up to a trade deadline, another season of trade chatter concerning Rockies veteran infielder Ryan McMahon.

Advertisement McMahon, 30, refers to himself as a baseball fan as well as a player.

He logs onto social media.

He does not avoid trade rumors.

After a few years, however, he says he has a better handle on things.

The first time was a little bit of a shock because it was like, oh s-, is this really going to happen? McMahon said.

Now, Im a little bit older, got a little bit better perspective with all this stuff.

So I know I just take it day to day.

I am happy being here.

I like the guys here.

Id love to win here.

Hopefully we do some things the rest of this year that gives us a little hope going into the next couple of seasons.

McMahon remains under contract for two more seasons beyond 2025.

He is set to make $12 million this season and $16 million in each of the two following seasons.

He has has spent his entire nine-year career in Colorado.

In the past, the Rockies showed little interest in deadline McMahon.

No decision has been made yet regarding whether the Rockies would be open to trading him this time around, league sources said.

McMahon offers value as a decent left-handed bat with a great defensive track record.

His fielding continues to rank among the games best at third base, according to defensive metrics like Outs Above Average (he is second only to the Pittsburgh Pirates KeBryan Hayes).

Offensively, McMahon started poorly.

Through April, he had a .508 OPS.

But ahead of a game in San Francisco on May 1, interim hitting coach Clint Hurdle told him to just focus on hitting the ball toward shortstop.

Simple advice.

But it led to a small mechanical adjustment and big improvement from McMahon.

Since that day, he owns an .872 OPS with six home runs.

Nowadays, theres so much information, you get caught up on the wrong things, McMahon said.

And it can just be the simplest thing to get you out of it.

Advertisement Despite the constant losing, McMahon said he is not clamoring to leave Colorado.

But he wouldnt blame the Rockies if they looked to move him this time around, either.

Maybe Im a little old-school in this, but I signed my contract to be here, McMahon said.

Ive committed to them for those years.

If we have a chance to win and stuff like that, Id love to see it through.

I also understand and know its a business.

And winning is a lot more fun than losing, I can promise you that.

Playing surface an issue in Sacramento Major League Baseball and the Players Association are not ignoring the complaints voiced by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler and Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa about the playing surface at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento .

Officials from MLB and the PA are in regular communication on the matter, according to spokespersons on both sides.

Murray Cook, MLBs field and stadium consultant, and Clay Wood, and the Athletics longtime groundskeeper, are among those monitoring the field.

To facilitate resurfacing, the league in January relocated the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats scheduled home series this week to Tacoma.

The plan during the break is to rebuild the mounds, bullpens and home plate areas with new clay and add more soil sensors to help monitor moisture levels across the field.

Correa, citing the boxs rock-hard surface, last week called it, the worst box Ive ever stepped in.

After experiencing soreness in the middle of his back during the first two games of a four-game series, he chose to sit out the final two contests, telling The Athletics Dan Hayes, Im not going to sacrifice two months of my season because of a couple of at-bats here.

Wheeler, after pitching at Sutter Health on May 24, said the hard clay on the mound prevented him from digging a hole with his foot in front of the rubber.

As a result, he couldnt land properly on the dirt to drive through all of his pitches, leaving him throwing, all arm.

Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, meanwhile, wondered if the hardness of the mound contributed to teammate Pablo Lopezs Grade 2 teres muscle strain, an injury that will keep him out 8 to 12 weeks.

Advertisement Officials with both the league and union acknowledge the box and mound are the most challenging areas.

Daily work is done in an attempt to keep them appropriately damp under the tarp and prevent them from overdrying.

The summer heat figures to only increase the difficulty of that task.

(Top photo of Zach Eflin: Alika Jenner/Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.