The Baltimore Orioles face a critical rotation crisis that could derail their 2025 season unless they address it through trades before the deadline.
After failing to retain former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, who departed after just one season, the Orioles now find themselves with six starting pitchers on the injured list:
- Zach Eflin: Out with low-grade lat strain. No return date set.
- Kyle Bradish: Recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Expected back after All-Star break.
- Tyler Wells: Recovering from last year’s UCL surgery. Expected back after All-Star break.
- Grayson Rodriguez: Out with elbow inflammation. No return date set.
- Trevor Rogers: Out with kneecap subluxation. Could return late April/early May.
- Chayce McDermott: Out with strained lat. No return date set.
This injury wave has left Baltimore with just four healthy starters: Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Cade Povich. The team signed Kyle Gibson late in spring training, but he isn’t ready to join the rotation yet.
The pitching woes have contributed to a 5-8 start, with Baltimore’s rotation ranking 28th in ERA (5.37), 27th in WHIP (1.45), last in batting average allowed (.294), and surrendering the second-most earned runs (39).
If the Orioles hope to reach October, they need rotation reinforcements, and one prominent MLB insider believes the solution involves trading a prized prospect.
Insider: Orioles need to move this top prospect for pitching help
Appearing on “Foul Territory,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal questioned why the Orioles haven’t upgraded their rotation despite a lineup featuring young stars Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colten Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday.
“I’ve got the same question about them and I’ve had it for awhile now — the rotation — and will it be good enough in a rugged division at a time when they’ve got all of these young position players taking another step forward, or at least having the potential to do that,” said Rosenthal.
"[Coby] Mayo is going to be the next interesting test case for them, whether they hold him or not."
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 11, 2025
The Orioles could theoretically build a trade package around Coby Mayo for any available pitcher at the trade deadline, says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/7bYzC5k1ny
The insider then suggested it’s time for Baltimore to leverage their prospect depth to acquire an impact pitcher, specifically mentioning Coby Mayo as a potential trade centerpiece.
“Here’s Mayo, a guy who most likely is going to end up at first base, could play third but is not going to play third for the Orioles, that’s where Westburg plays,” Rosenthal explained. “That’s a player, a prospect, a top 100 guy, that you can still build a package around for any pitcher that might be available at the deadline — [Sandy] Alcantara right on down.
“Will they move him? I don’t know. Maybe they feel he’s the guy who will replace Ryan Mountcastle in a year or two — Mountcastle has one more year after this. But you can’t just win with young players and you can’t hold back when you have a clear need and an opportunity to make some noise, not just in the division, but in the playoffs. Mayo is going to be the next interesting test case for them, whether they hold him or not.”
Mayo, ranked by MLB.com as the 13th overall prospect in baseball, appeared in 17 games for the Orioles in 2024 and began the 2025 season in Triple-A Norfolk. The 23-year-old has accumulated 83 home runs as he enters his fifth minor league season.
The Orioles have reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons but were swept both times. Now, with a talented young core in place, the pressure is mounting on the front office and new ownership group to strengthen the rotation for a legitimate World Series push.
