The Baltimore Orioles are one of the best teams in baseball at the All-Star Break. With the MLB trade deadline, some of the latest Orioles rumors have tied the team to several starting pitchers expected to be available. Now, there’s a new target who could potentially be on Baltimore’s radar.
For the most part, the Orioles pitching staff has been excellent this year. It enters MLB games today among the league leaders in several key statistics. However, season-ending injuries to Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and John Means have deprived the club of significant pitch depth.
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Unsurprisingly, Baltimore is in the market for both starting pitchers and relievers ahead of the MLB trade deadline. However, the general focus seems to be adding another reliable arm to the Orioles rotation. With some of the top options on the injured list, like Jesus Luzardo, there’s another name who might be worth keeping an eye on for Baltimore.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post highlighted Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt as a potential trade target for the Orioles. Of note, Heyman believes there’s approximately a 14 percent chance of the Blue Jays trading Bassitt.
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Bassitt, age 35, does have an eight-team no-trade list and it’s unknown if the Baltimore Orioles are on it. However, with Toronto out of the playoff race, a deal to Baltimore would allow the veteran starter to join a World Series contender.
While Bassitt has struggled in recent starts, he’s largely been an effective mid-rotation starter this season. From April 3 – July 10, he compiled a 3.34 ERA with a .262/.343/.346 slash line allowed in his last 102.1 innings pitched. If the Blue Jays were willing to move him, Baltimore would be on the hook for approximately half of his remaining salary this season and his full $22 million salary in 2025.
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