This is a weekly column that dives into eight random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. Why eight? It’s a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. of course. That, and doing 2,632 of these would be a little overboard. – A.S.

Author’s Note: We’re going about things a little differently here at Thursday Thoughts this week. With the non-waiver trade deadline just over a week away, instead of eight different “Thoughts” on the Orioles specifically, we’re going to give you eight players the O’s have been linked in rumors. I’ll preface it by saying I don’t believe the Birds make a major move (as noted in this piece for MASN earlier this week) but here’s a few players the team has been rumored to have interest in.

Detroit Tigers OF Yoenis Cespedes

This is personally my favorite rumor involving a player outside the Orioles organization because I love the way Cespedes plays the game. I think I would especially love hearing Gary Thorne pronounce his name because it’s basically the one semi-difficult name in baseball that Gary actually gets right.

Kidding aside, Cespedes would be a great fit in LF for the O’s, but it would likely only be for two months. If the Orioles were to somehow acquire the Cuban, I doubt they’d be able to re-sign him going into next season. Cespedes would definitely fill the corner outfielder role that Dan Duquette failed to during the offseason. His bat would provide a big boost to the middle of the lineup and his defense is well-above average, including his cannon for an arm.

Like with the Eduardo Rodriguez deal last season though, you’d have to wonder what the O’s are willing to give up in order to get a rental. I’m also still not convinced the Tigers are ready to go down the road of rebuilding by selling off pieces like Cespedes, David Price and Rajai Davis, though it’s something they should be doing.

Philadelphia Phillies SP Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels appears to be the most valuable pitching commodity out there only because he’s signed through 2018. You’d be making an investment by acquiring Hamels, and he’d be a left-handed piece in the O’s rotation for the next few seasons. I’ve always thought Hamels was a bit overrated, but his numbers are impressive and he’d immediately go right to the top of the rotation in Baltimore.

The biggest factor to me with Hamels is whether or not the Phillies actually trade him. There’s no doubt in my mind that Philadelphia SHOULD be looking into the deal, but they’ve waited this long already, so what is stopping them from waiting until the 2016 deadline? The Phillies are historically bad, and have no real use for him, but they have to get enough back.

At this point they need to cut their losses and dump players like Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon in order to build for the future, which is still very murky even after hiring Andy MacPhail.

Milwaukee Brewers OF Carlos Gomez

The idea of a trade for Carlos Gomez baffles me more than most things, which is saying something. The Brewers outfielder wouldn’t fit on the Orioles. Firstly, he’s a center fielder. The Orioles have one of those, and he’s pretty good. Many believe it’s easy to just throw a CF over in one of the corner outfield spots, but that’s not how it works. Gomez hasn’t had any significant innings in left or right since 2007.

Secondly, Gomez is a very solid player, but he’s not a world beater. He’s not an impact player that is going to change things too much. I’m not saying he’d be Alejandro De Aza, but I don’t think he’d be much more. I’m just not high on him. Gomez is signed through 2016, which gives him a nice boost in value, but at his price I don’t think he’s worth it. I’d steer clear in every way possible.

San Diego Padres OF Justin Upton

Acquiring Justin Upton would be intriguing on many levels. Like Cespedes, he’s a power bat who could fill in nicely in a corner outfield spot. Upton’s defense isn’t nearly as strong, but he’s always been a dangerous hitter and provides another threat in the middle of the order. I question whether or not the Orioles would take a leap on a player like Upton, not because he’s another rental player who would be a free agent at year’s end, but because of his personal history. Many know that Upton has been a headache, most famously in Arizona during his time with the Diamondbacks. I’m not sure Buck Showalter wants that in his clubhouse.

I’ve always thought the D-backs were foolish for dealing Upton to the Braves, but it’s obviously something they felt like they needed to do for their team. The other large issue with Upton is that he’s currently dealing with an oblique injury, which we all know can derail someone pretty easily. This is another case of someone who’s likely too rich for the Orioles’ blood, especially with all the baggage he brings.

Cincinnati Reds OF Jay Bruce

Jay Bruce has always struck me as a player who is a bit underrated. He’s a power bat but doesn’t seem to strike out as much as your average slugger, and has the ability to get on base. The Reds are in fire sale mode, so it makes sense that they are looking to deal multiple players. Bruce would slot into a corner outfield spot if he’s dealt.

The former first-round pick is also signed through next season, which makes him a bit more valuable than most. Again, I question what the Orioles have in their bare minor league cupboard to give up, but if they could pull off a deal for Bruce, it would immediately make them a better team right now.

Cincinnati Reds SP Johnny Cueto

Cincinnati is indeed having a fire sale, and perhaps that’s why Johnny Cueto’s name has been mentioned as one of the top starting pitchers on the market. He’s going to fetch big dollars this offseason as a free agent, but that’s not something the Orioles will be a part of. If anything, the O’s would be getting a rental with Cueto, and not one I think could help them enough for a big push to the World Series.

The risk is just far too high to make up for the reward in this scenario. There have also been concerns about Cueto’s velocity being down over his last two starts, which raises major red flags. Unfortunately for the Orioles, I really think the Blue Jays are the favorite to land Cueto, which would be a dangerous proposition for the rest of the AL East.

Oakland Athletics Utilityman Ben Zobrist

It seems like every season the trade deadline rolls around and every season the Orioles are linked to Ben Zobrist. He seems like a Dan Duquette kind of guy, who can fill a bunch of different roles and give you good production. In his first year with the A’s, he’s been less than stellar, but so has the rest of that team.

I don’t really know what Oakland is planning to do, because they seem to have a bunch of pieces they could get rid of, but none of them have a terrible amount of value. Zobrist would fit on a lot of different teams, but again he’s a free agent heading into next season and would merely be a rental.

Oakland Athletics SP Scott Kazmir

When I heard this rumor, it surprised me at first, and then not at all. I read something yesterday that said the Orioles may be willing to deal Kevin Gausman in exchange for Scott Kazmir. Sign me up. I know that sounds crazy, but this speaks to the Orioles’ clear inability to develop pitching. To me, Gausman might as well be declared as the next Jake Arrieta. Once he departs Baltimore, he’ll likely flourish. That is, unless the O’s have already screwed up his development beyond repair.

I think Gausman can be a really good pitcher in this league, but I don’t know if it will be with the Birds. If they can get a proven MLB pitcher, they might as well. Now Kazmir is a free agent at the end of the season, so I may be going a little bold when I say I’d make the deal, but at this point, I’m up for mixing it up when it comes to Gausman. He’s just far too risky and his value is going to start plummeting. I haven’t been in favor of any deal involving Gausman until very recently, but if they are going to pull the trigger on one, it better be now.