Well, this feels familiar. Once again O’s fans got our hopes up about acquiring an outfielder at the trade deadline, and once again it seems that the Blue Jays swooped in and stole that player out from under us. Last year, it was Ben Revere. This time around, Melvin Upton Jr.
Sources: #BlueJays agree to acquire Melvin Upton Jr. from #Padres for Class A prospect. Financial terms not known. Likely finalized today.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2016
Sources: #Orioles offered Jimenez and two minor leaguers to #Padres for Upton. Deal believed to have broken down over finances.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2016
The Orioles are back to square one and are likely on the hunt for a different outfielder. The team also needs to find a viable starter to add to the rotation, or at least some more bullpen help. So where can the Orioles turn their attention next?
The outfield market isn’t anything special, but there are still a few names that could help improve the lineup and defense.
One name to look at is Oakland’s Josh Reddick, who is being shopped around after extension talks broke down. Reddick is a decent fielder and swings the bat well, batting .293 this season. He’s had some injuries this season, but it’d be a good left-handed bat to add to the lineup.
The hang-up would be what Oakland wants for Reddick. Two prospects sound about right for a rental player, as Reddick becomes a free agent next season. Duquette could pull the trigger on that type of deal, although there haven’t been any reports of Baltimore checking in on Reddick. Things could change in the next few days.
Another name to look at (which has been looked at for years) is Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce. The outfielder has kept up this power numbers this season and has even improved his average to .272. Adding Bruce would give the Orioles the most dangerous power lineup in baseball and would continue to take the pressure off of the rotation.
Bruce is also a free agent after this season and would likely require the same type of haul as Reddick. It just depends on if the Orioles are looking for more power or average.
The pitching market has stayed the same, minus Drew Pomeranz, with San Diego’s Andrew Cashner and the Phillies’ Jeremy Hellickson the names we’re seeing tossed around most often.
It’s going to be an interesting next few days, as the Baltimore front office will try to add more pieces in order to keep the team in first place and prepare them for a deep October run.
