The Baltimore Orioles entered MLB games today with a studly 44-22 record. They are on pace for 108 wins after posting a 101-61 mark in 2023.
Obviously, it’s the youngsters who have stepped up for manager Brandon Hyde. That includes Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson doing their thing.
From a pitching perspective, Corbin Burnes (2.08 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) and Grayson Rodriguez (3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) headline a strong rotation. Meanwhile, veteran closer Craig Kimbrel (2.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) has been great in the back end of the bullpen.
Apparently, this is not stopping front office head Mike Elias from looking for bullpen help. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that it is a target area for Baltimore leading up to the MLB trade deadline this summer.
There are obviously ample possibilities for Baltimore. A larger market could also take hold depending on how teams perform in the coming weeks.
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Baltimore Orioles trade options to address bullpen
In addition to Kimbrel, the Orioles’ bullpen has been fantastic as a whole. Keegan Akin (3.73 ERA), Jacob Webb (1.76 ERA) and Yennier Cano (2.37 ERA) have all pitched well.
The idea would be to add to an area of strength. Here’s a look at three options.
- Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics: Prior to being on the receiving end of a walk-off homer on Wednesday, Miller had been one of the few bright spots in Oakland. He entered that game having pitched to a 2.12 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work. It is being reported that the A’s are looking for a mighty haul if they are going to move the 25-year-old hurler. Per MLB, Baltimore has the top farm system in baseball. It can afford to unload a couple prospects.
- Tanner Scott, Miami Marlins: The last-place Marlins are in the same position as Oakland. They’ll be going into full-scale sell off mode ahead of the trade deadline. If so, Scott has to be one of the most-attractive options. The closer is pitching to a 1.30 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 30 strikeouts in 27.2 innings this season. He’s also set to hit free agency, meaning the cost to acquire Scott would be less than Miller.
- Michael Kopech, Chicago White Sox: In the midst of a disaster class of a season, Chicago is likely going to move anyone of value this summer. That will likely include the 28-year-old Kopech. He has not been good this season (4.94 ERA, 1.54 WHIP). But his high strikeout rate (39 in 27.1 innings) could be attractive to Baltimore. He’d also come pretty cheap.
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