The Orioles close out their series against the Phillies this afternoon with Kyle Bradish opposing Zack Wheeler.

I’m not opposed to sharing more mailbag questions before Monday’s off-day and the 6 p.m. deadline.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Optimistic or pessimistic about the Orioles?
Can it be both? I said before the break that this team was back, though I also did it to get reactions out of colleagues. One person in the media who shall remain nameless chastised me and buried this team with two shovels. Well, I dig my statement. However, I’m also quick to point out that the Orioles would have lost Wednesday except the Tigers’ bullpen is putrid, and they would have lost Friday except the Phillies’ bullpen is putrid. Down 7-0 in Detroit after committing three errors and being lifeless at the plate. Andrew Painter stifled them after the first inning. But they gained more ground in the Wild Card race. So, one from Column A and one from Column B.

Is catcher Sam Huff still in the organization?
Are you asking whether he left in a Huff? He did not. He cleared outright waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. I’ll let him know that you were asking about him.

If it were up to you, who would be your September call-ups? And don’t say “your Mom.”
I’d never! The roster composition plays a role in this decision. We don’t know who’s here and who’s gone after the deadline. Also keep in mind that only two players are added instead of the days when the entire 40-man roster could be emptied into the Orioles’ clubhouse. Something must be done with Heston Kjerstad. He was the second-overall draft pick in 2020 and he’s 27 years old. Give him another shot or trade him. But here’s the catch: It’s much harder to just run him out there for another sink-or-swim session if this team is trying to make the playoffs. He’s got to hit. He’s got to field. The expanded roster strategy can change depending on the Orioles’ placement in the standings. Enrique Bradfield Jr., the first-round pick in 2023, would give the Orioles plus speed and defense if allowed to make his debut, and those tools could be exactly what they need down the stretch. Left-handed reliever Andrew Magno has earned an opportunity, and it would be his first in the bigs – yes, I’m beating that drum again – but we don’t know how the bullpen’s going to look next month.

Is there anyone currently on the big league roster that will be traded at the deadline?
I better run this question, and fast. Dean Kremer wouldn’t have been my answer until late Friday night. There are so many teams are searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder, Taylor Ward and his pending free agency could be headed out the door. The Orioles need relievers but also might trade Andrew Kittredge. This deadline is nuts, and the blame falls squarely upon a weak American League. We must include Trevor Rogers in any trade speculation, also because he’s a pending free agent and there’s high demand for starting pitching. The risk for the Orioles is enormous. That’s a heck of a hole to punch in the rotation. And Tarik Skubal ain’t walking through that door. Kremer was under team control for another season, so the Orioles aren’t focused solely on expiring contracts. I’ll say again that I expect catcher Adley Rutschman to stay, but he isn’t untouchable. He’s a free agent after 2027 and the demand for catchers right now is pretty intense. Mike Elias is fielding all calls, as usual. I don’t know how you trade Rutschman without putting a dagger in your 2026 playoff hopes, especially with Samual Basallo moving front and center behind the plate at this early stage of his major league career.

What is the likelihood of a lock-out to begin the 2027 MLB season? Does the possibility of a looming strike affect offseason trades and free-agent acquisitions?
I expect a lockout over the winter. I also expect it to be resolved. But when that happens, I have no idea. It’s possible that the beginning of the season is impacted, even if it’s because teams are late reporting to spring training. But they’ll play. Business at the major league level is put on hold, so yes, that’s an impact.

What is your favorite Chris Davis memory?
The most obvious is his relief appearance at Fenway Park, with two scoreless innings, and how the 17-inning win launched the Buck Showalter-era Orioles. He said it again Friday afternoon after the Hall of Fame luncheon. The team knew at that moment that it had something special. “We did get hot, and that carried us,” he said. “Every season I feel like you have a certain event or a couple of events that stand out. That’s when it changed, and that’s when we knew, ‘Hey, we can compete.’” Other moments for me are more personal, for lack of a better word. As his career was crumbling, Davis agreed to sit with me in the empty stands at Tropicana Field before batting practice for a one-on-one interview. The seats near the field had nameplates on them, and Davis joked about getting a chance to be someone else, which he desperately wanted to do. That stuck with me. There was the time that he motioned me to his locker at Ed Smith Stadium a day or two after public relations director and close friend Monica Barlow passed away. He just wanted to know how I was doing. That’s it. He knew how much I was hurting, just like him, and that act of kindness also stayed with me. He kept her memory alive, talking about her with new teammates. And finally, after my father passed away in January 2019, the first flowers to arrive at my Mom’s house in Ocean Pines came from Jill and Chris Davis, with a beautiful note attached. So forgive me if I tend to rush to Davis’ defense when some fans crush him, so to speak, for being a bad person or not caring about anything or anyone after signing his big contract. That’s bull.  

Are there any Orioles players not in the team Hall of Fame who you think should be in?
I’ll start with catcher Andy Etchebarren, one of the very few players from those early ‘70s team who’s omitted. He did pretty much everything in the organization – player, manager Davey Johnson’s bench coach, minor league manager and coach, roving catching instructor. He caught the four 20-game winners in 1971. He should be in there. Otherwise, speaking of those Showalter teams, another wave of players will follow Davis, Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis. We’ll see Matt Wieters, Darren O’Day, Zack Britton and Buck Showalter. We’ll eventually see Manny Machado after he retires. Maybe Chris Tillman and Dan Duquette, too. I’ll argue for Rafael Palmeiro, the greatest free-agent signing in team history, and duck for cover. Is it possible to induct Delmon’s double but not the player?

If covering the O’s beat had a theme song, what would it be?
Funny how the team’s surge is making me rethink it. “Everybody Hurts,” “Rehab,” and “Killing Me Softly” were three good suggestions that I found in the comments. As the trade deadline draws closer, perhaps Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”