The 2024 Trade Deadline

[Sports Guy]

There is an argument to be made that you bring in 2-3 new relievers and make the offense even better. Solve your weakness and improve upon your strength.  And just go with what you have at starter. 
 

Playoffs are largely about scoring and your bullpen anymore.  You hope for 5, maybe 6 good innings out of your starter.  You need your starters to not lose you the game.

forget the bigger name closer type guys.  Go after the guys like Nardi and Walker.  They won’t cost you any of your top guys.

And make a play for Robert. An injury prone guy but a potential difference making talent when he’s healthy. Plus it gives us another righty and he can play CF at a high level.

Maybe you just do something like that, get Mayo and Holliday up here and try to bludgeon teams.

Edited June 16 by Sports Guy

[Bahama O's Fan]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

There is an argument to be made that you bring in 2-3 new relievers and make the offense even better. Solve your weakness and improve upon your strength.  And just go with what you have at starter. 
 

Playoffs are largely about scoring and your bullpen anymore.  You hope for 5, maybe 6 good innings out of your starter.  You need your starters to not lose you the game.

forget the bigger name closer type guys.  Go after the guys like Nardi and Walker.  They won’t cost you any of your top guys.

And make a play for Robert. An injury prone guy but a potential difference making talent when he’s healthy. Plus it gives us another righty and he can play CF at a high level.

Maybe you just do something like that, get Mayo and Holliday up here and try to bludgeon teams.

I definitely see your point with this. At this point, we should make the playoffs, barring major injuries and drop offs. So, how much does it matter who your 4th and 5th starters are in the playoffs? Even your 3rd starter may only pitch one game of a 7 game series, but your pen is going to be out there every single game. Go get the pen arms. 

[Sports Guy]

14 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

I definitely see your point with this. At this point, we should make the playoffs, barring major injuries and drop offs. So, how much does it matter who your 4th and 5th starters are in the playoffs? Even your 3rd starter may only pitch one game of a 7 game series, but your pen is going to be out there every single game. Go get the pen arms. 

I mean, I want that 3rd big time arm and feel it’s really important but you can argue that the 3rd big time arm isn’t available and even if you buy into Luzardo or crochet as that guy, do you want to lose Mayo or Basallo to get him?

Would the Giants trade Webb?  That may be a guy you push hard for but I’m just not sure that the starter becomes available that justifies that type of trade.

If I’m trading Kjerstad, getting a guy like Robert may be the preferred way of doing things.

[waroriole]

19 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

There is an argument to be made that you bring in 2-3 new relievers and make the offense even better. Solve your weakness and improve upon your strength.  And just go with what you have at starter. 
 

Playoffs are largely about scoring and your bullpen anymore.  You hope for 5, maybe 6 good innings out of your starter.  You need your starters to not lose you the game.

forget the bigger name closer type guys.  Go after the guys like Nardi and Walker.  They won’t cost you any of your top guys.

And make a play for Robert. An injury prone guy but a potential difference making talent when he’s healthy. Plus it gives us another righty and he can play CF at a high level.

Maybe you just do something like that, get Mayo and Holliday up here and try to bludgeon teams.

Agreed on upgrading the bullpen. I think Kimbrel, Cano, and Coulombe are reliable playoff arms. I’d like to be able to add 2 more on their level and above guys like Webb and Perez. 
 

No interest in Robert though. Will cost more than we should pay and too much of an injury risk. White Sox are a team I’d avoid in general. 

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Agreed on upgrading the bullpen. I think Kimbrel, Cano, and Coulombe are reliable playoff arms. I’d like to be able to add 2 more on their level and above guys like Webb and Perez. 
 

No interest in Robert though. Will cost more than we should pay and too much of an injury risk. White Sox are a team I’d avoid in general. 

I can see that. I’m apprehensive about Robert too, which is why I only go so far with him. 

[waroriole]

10 hours ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I'm cautiously optimistic about Suarez and amazed that the O's somehow converted a NPB pitcher who hadn't pitched in the majors in 7 years into an effective MLB starter.  I'm afraid that he could revert at any time.  Povich seems to have a slim line between being effective and getting hammered.  1 more injury to the starting rotation and we could be looking at someone like Zimmermann every 5th game.   I agree, need to get some kind of middle of rotation starter.  Please no Flaherty types, I'd rather go with what we have.

Counter argument, we’re one Kremer rehab outing from being back at a 6 man rotation. 

[OriolesMagic83]

2 hours ago, waroriole said:

Counter argument, we’re one Kremer rehab outing from being back at a 6 man rotation. 

I really hate the 6 man rotation.  The bullpen is not deep enough as it is.  Hyde did finally adapt.  I was shocked to see him pitch Akin 3 innings.  I was going to file a missing person's report for Hyde and launch an investigation on who the manager for that game was. 

[OriolesMagic83]

Any updates on Coulombe?  I didn't see any posted.

[Safelykept]

2 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

I definitely see your point with this. At this point, we should make the playoffs, barring major injuries and drop offs. So, how much does it matter who your 4th and 5th starters are in the playoffs? Even your 3rd starter may only pitch one game of a 7 game series, but your pen is going to be out there every single game. Go get the pen arms. 

Number 4 starter could matter plenty. In the meantime I think they will pick up some BP arms, but dont look for them to spend a lot, They need Danny back, get back to a 5 man staff and one of these starters goes to the pen, if Povich can keep his head above water.

[OriolesMagic83]

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

I mean, I want that 3rd big time arm and feel it’s really important but you can argue that the 3rd big time arm isn’t available and even if you buy into Luzardo or crochet as that guy, do you want to lose Mayo or Basallo to get him?

Would the Giants trade Webb?  That may be a guy you push hard for but I’m just not sure that the starter becomes available that justifies that type of trade.

If I’m trading Kjerstad, getting a guy like Robert may be the preferred way of doing things.

I would give up a lot more for Crochet than for Luzardo.  Luzardo is coming back from injury and hasn't been that good this year.  I'm not a fan of Robert with his health history.  I would like an OF with lower upside but better health if the O's are going to trade for an OF. 

[Bemorewins]

11 hours ago, 24fps said:

I would be very surprised if every last one of the GM's Elias talks to about quality starting pitching doesn't start by asking about Westburg and the rest.  Again, I think it's a mistake to believe that the O's have a ton of leverage here.  They certainly have some, and Elias is smart and disciplined, but I don't see any bargains.  I especially don't see the luxury of acting like youth and multiple years of control is any kind of rigid starting point for the O's.

How do other teams have ANY leverage? It’s not like Elias is forced to deal with them. If he was only dealing with one yea they would have leverage because the Orioles have a need on the roster. But because there are MULTIPLE with MULTIPLE players he can move on from any team and they will get nothing from us. Those other teams are incentivized to move their players JUST AS MUCH as we are incentivized to add.

NOBODY is getting Westburg (or even asking for him at this point) or ANY OTHER MAINSTAY Major Leaguer of the roster. That’s not how the trade deadline works.

As I mentioned nobody is going to the Yankees and saying give us Gil, Soto, Judge, Rodon, etc. Nobody is asking the Dodgers for Betts, Freeman, Ohtani, etc.

Teams who are rebuilding/selling are asking for prospects. Oakland and the Chicago White Sox are not one player or even one year away. Guys who are already established now (even young ones like Jordan Westburg) do nothing for them in their phase of rebuilding.

[waroriole]

29 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I would give up a lot more for Crochet than for Luzardo.  Luzardo is coming back from injury and hasn't been that good this year.  I'm not a fan of Robert with his health history.  I would like an OF with lower upside but better health if the O's are going to trade for an OF. 

I think a RH bat is all we need offensively. I’d look at JD Martinez. 

[Bemorewins]

26 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I would give up a lot more for Crochet than for Luzardo.  Luzardo is coming back from injury and hasn't been that good this year.  I'm not a fan of Robert with his health history.  I would like an OF with lower upside but better health if the O's are going to trade for an OF. 

I was against the idea of a Crochet addition before the Bradish injury because I didn’t see the need. Now, I’m all for it. He would be a gamble but a much better buy than Luzardo who is not pitching well at all this season. He (Luzardo) would be the kind of non-impact move that we tried last year, that blew up in our faces. 

On the other hand Robert is more of a luxury move than a need.

IMO the needs are now top end starting pitcher (#2/3 type) AND shut down reliever. Anything addition beyond that is gravy.

The priorities are pitching.

[G54377]

Luzardo screams "flames out in a few years" to me. No thanks, or at least for what he'll cost. Robert has played literally one full season of baseball in his entire life. Again, too much risk and no thanks.

Crochet would be a good target, because we get him for 2 1/2 years and is an elite lefty. Given where CHW are, a package with Kjerstad and one of our young pitchers (headlining) makes sense for both teams. 

If we are forced to effectively give up on Mullins or Hays (either BC of injury or general suckiness), Taylor Ward does make sense. His name has been tossed around a lot. His splits playing against AL East teams kinda scare me, but he's a RH bat that can play good defensive OF and under team control for a few years and probably won't cost much.

As for bullpen arms, this seems like the hardest to predict. CHW doesn't really have anybody pitching well there. The Marlins have our old friend Tanner Scott, but he isn't anything near a sure thing like other experienced closers. Mason Miller will cost too much. Chapman may make sense if DC is out. As a 36 year old rental he won't cost as much, which will be important if we go all in for a starter. His wildness will make our blood boil but he still has the swing and miss stuff and obviously a ton of playoff experience. Maybe Beeks from COL? Another lefty bullpen rental.

[Malike]

27 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I would give up a lot more for Crochet than for Luzardo.  Luzardo is coming back from injury and hasn't been that good this year.  I'm not a fan of Robert with his health history.  I would like an OF with lower upside but better health if the O's are going to trade for an OF. 

This is Crochet's first full year back from TJS after 12 IP last year. You'd have to think if you are trading for him, it's not for this year, but next year as he's likely only got a few more starts left him if he's handled responsibly, which he should be, coming back from TJS. He's under control through the 2026 season and there is value in that even though he's arb eligible and will likely get a nice bump in salary.