Reality: The Non-waiver trade deadline is July 31st.
Perception: The Orioles are looking to be buyers at the deadline. Rock Kubatko of MASN says the O’s “are in the market for pitching… a starter and a reliever.” I think most fans would be glad to hear that, but where do the Orioles make room on the roster for a trade?
You have to trade from your strengths, which for the Orioles would be in the minors. They would need to give away some quality minor league players to upgrade their major league pitching staff. That also means that some major league guys would have to be released or demoted to make room for the new guys. So who is left out?
Kevin Gausman? According to Kubatko, the plan is to keep him on the major league roster after the All-Star break.
Brad Brach? He has options, but he might be the Orioles’ best relief pitcher right now.
TJ McFarland? See above.
Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Ryan Webb, and Tommy Hunter aren’t going anywhere. That leaves Brian Matusz as the only moveable option in the bullpen…but honestly, outside of a trade, I don’t see Buck letting him go.
If Kubatko’s report that Gausman is staying with the Orioles the rest of the season is correct, then that leaves the Birds with six starters. Could one of them be moved? I think Miguel Gonzalez is the only option, as he could move to the bullpen.
So the front office has some real hard decisions to make. If they make a trade for a pitcher, they will have to cut ties with someone that might not want to.
Reality: The Orioles will very likely trade for a middle of the road pitcher…not a top-line starter fans hope for.
Perception: So who do the Orioles go after in a trade? Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweeted just before last night’s game:
#Orioles have been looking for a starting P upgrade, and one guy they have been monitoring is Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa, source says
— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) July 9, 2014
de la Rosa is 33 years old and in 18 starts is 9-6 with a 4.75 ERA for the Colorado Rockies this season. It could end up being just a loan, as de La Rosa is a free agent at the end of this season.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX tweeted some additional comments to Connolly’s:
“Per sources, Orioles have contacted Rockies about de la Rosa and done background work on him. However, Rockies might prefer to extend qualifying offer to de la Rosa, a potential free agent. They will weigh return in trade against value of keeping De La Rosa. Rockies could trade de La Rosa, then try to re-sign him, but fear that once they sever ties, he would move on.”
Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette both have ties to de La Rosa, but will he be enough to solidify the O’s rotation? But looking at their history, he is the exact type of pitcher the Orioles go after in July. He is in the same vein as Joe Saunders, Scott Feldman, and Bud Norris.
In the mind of many fans, he fits right in the middle of our rotation… not exactly the #1 or even the #2 starter we have been hoping for.
Reality: The Orioles are 49-41 after 90 games in 2014.
Perception: That’s the same record the O’s had after 90 games in 2013. In 2012, the Orioles were 46-44. In 1997, the Orioles were 57-33 after 90 games.
1997 was the last time the Orioles had won even 50 of their first 90 games. They won the AL East that season. With a win last night, they could have accomplished that again. Instead they go for win 50 tonight.
It would be great if they could get that 50th win tonight. Then, the O’s host the Yankees (without Masahiro Tanaka) in a three-game series to wrap up the 1st half of the season.
I think it’s important for the Orioles to win three of their last four before the All-Star Break. They are eight games over .500. Winning three of their next four gets them to 10 games over .500, and helps extend their lead over the Yankees. Hopefully, the Blue Jays will continue their decline.
Things are beginning to look up for the Orioles as we head into the break. Adam Jones and Manny Machado are hitting the ball really well. J.J. Hardy is hitting .300 along with Steve Pearce. Chris Davis has had two good offensive games in a row. And the Orioles bullpen is still one of the best in baseball.
If we can take three of the next four games, I feel pretty confident the Orioles can win the AL East for the first time since 1997.
