CLEVELAND – The clock continues to tick towards the trade deadline in Birdland. As the Orioles begin a new series in Cleveland, the writing isn’t etched in stone, but it’s certainly on the wall. 

“The conversations that I’m having right now are more oriented towards seeing what’s out there for some of our available major league players,” Mike Elias recently said on MLB Network Radio. 

Just shy of 100 games into the regular season and 10 games under .500, it’s not the place that anyone thought the Orioles would find themselves in. Through gritted teeth, they must operate accordingly. 

“Mike and the organization have a responsibility to create sustainable success for the Baltimore Orioles for years to come,” interim manager Tony Mansolino added today. 

But on a day-to-day basis, deadline moves don’t change much for Mansolino. Of course, the players penciled into the lineup cards may be varied, new relievers will fill new roles, and different starters could be toeing the slab. But the goal is always the same. 

“Our mindset is to win with whoever’s here,” Mansolino said. “Regardless of whether a player gets traded or not or certain players get traded, our goal every day is to win the game.” 

The O’s situation is unique, though. 

Across baseball, there will be sellers in a few weeks’ time. But few among that group will have the same outlook on 2026 as the Orioles, who plan to compete and be back to the form we’ve been accustomed to seeing over the last few seasons. A down 2025, while disappointing, doesn’t change that plan. 

Players on expiring contracts won’t necessarily be a part of that future venture. There’s always the possibility of a reunion in the offseason, but for now, the Orioles are being realistic about their outlook for the rest of 2025. 

With that in mind, the young core that had brought the O’s back to prominence in the standings is still going to be wearing black and orange in a few weeks. They’re here to turn things around next year. 

“Those guys are very, highly unlikely to go anywhere,” Mansolino said. “So, however this trade deadline ends, we’re going to look out on the field and we’re really going to like the players that we have, and we’re going to feel strongly that we can win with those players. And those players are going to know that we feel that way, and we’re going to put our best foot forward to win every game.”

Names like Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser are still going to be written into the O’s lineup card, regardless of what happens at the deadline. That group of players is more than capable of stacking up wins, as we’ve seen in past seasons. 

But a young core is just that - a young core. It’s a group that found nearly immediate success upon their promotion to the big leagues, and has not faced this kind of adversity in the win and loss columns in their major league careers. Adversity can be a valuable lesson. 

“I think this is going to be an incredible acceleration of maturity for a lot of these guys,” Mansolino said. “When I talked to the team the other day, that was actually part of the conversation, was to those specific players and them understanding their responsibility in this going forward and how those guys are going to carry us.”

The win-loss record is still the primary focus for Mansolino every day, but it may not be the proper way to judge the team after moves are made. If Baltimore can get healthier and see their young core perform better in the second half, there will be plenty of reasons for optimism in 2026.

The rest of 2025 can help the team get there. 

Breadcrumbs from the skipper 

Maverick Handley is “getting close” to going through concussion protocols. 

He’s got a wrist injury, too. “He’s going to see a hand/wrist specialist here soon and kind of get final information on where he’s going to go with that.” 

Zach Eflin is a "possibility" this week, according to Mansolino. Perhaps a strong possibility with a wink and a nod. Expect to see him very soon.