This, that and the other
By Roch Kubatko
Release the pause button. The Orioles are set to resume their season following the All-Star break, beginning a three-game series tonight against the Rays in Tampa.
The Orioles are 22-16 since the start of June after going 21-36 beforehand, which sounds like momentum. But they closed the first half with back-to-back home losses to the Marlins and have split their last 20 games, leaving them nine below .500 at 43-52 and 7 ½ behind for the last Wild Card.
This isn’t the way to convince the front office that buying makes more sense than selling.
Get ready for more reports that the Orioles are “listening” to offers, which signals that the trade deadline is fast approaching. As I always ask, what exactly is the alternative? Executives call other executives, who listen and can exercise their right to say “no.” It doesn’t indicate progress in trade talks or a willingness to part with a particular player. It’s just the usual conversations intended to gauge whether there might be room to negotiate.
It would be bigger news if contenders weren’t checking whether the Orioles might part with Félix Bautista. They’ve got nothing to lose by asking. And I wouldn’t expect more than a couple of seconds to pass while considering the idea dealing a dominant closer who's getting back into All-Star form and remains under team control through 2027.
That’s a hard “no.”
The Orioles aren’t rebuilding. They expect to contend in 2026, which is why any other deals made beyond Bryan Baker to the Rays will be done without inflicting possible damage to that goal. Pending free agents are on the table, and that includes the few with options for next season.
First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and reliever Seranthony Domínguez are my picks as the most vulnerable to a trade based on the level of interest in them, and I’m not alone on an island here. And there’s relievers Gregory Soto and Andrew Kittredge, outfielders Cedric Mullins and Ramón Laureano and starters Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to consider.
Eflin jumps into that first tier if teams are convinced that he isn’t a health risk and he strings together some quality starts. But let’s also consider how the Orioles could hold onto him, make the qualifying offer and get a draft pick.
Catcher Gary Sánchez would have made this list except he’s on the injured list with a right knee sprain and not expected to return anytime soon. That’s a tough sell.
* The Rays are starting Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot in the weekend series.
Bradley faced the Orioles twice in June and allowed a combined 11 earned runs and 12 total with 14 hits in 6 2/3 innings. His start in Tampa was the worst, with six earned runs and seven total over 1 1/3 innings in the Rays’ wild 12-8 win. Colton Cowser hit a three-run homer and Cedric Mullins had a solo shot.
Littell and Pepiot also faced the Orioles twice in June. Littell allowed four runs in 13 innings. Pepiot held them to one run and struck out 11 batters in eight innings in Tampa, but he allowed four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 in Baltimore.
All seven games between the teams have been decided by at least three runs
* Reliever Corbin Martin declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and elected free agency.
The Orioles designated Martin for assignment Sunday and recalled left-hander Grant Wolfram. He made one appearance and tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his first major league action since 2022.
* Double-A Chesapeake outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. returned to the seven-day injured list yesterday.
Bradfield has a right hamstring strain, which he aggravated at Saturday’s All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta. He went 0-for-2 and caught the fly ball that produced the final out.
Bradfield is the No. 2 prospect in the organization, but injuries are weighing him down. He missed more than a month earlier this season with a strained left hamstring, and right hamstring tightness in June led to another stint on the IL.
The speedster, when healthy, is batting .257/.396/.372 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBIs, 24 walks, 21 strikeouts and 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts over 36 games with the Baysox. He’s also appeared in four games with High-A Aberdeen and three in the Florida Complex League on rehab assignments.
* According to the Orioles’ transactions page, they’ve signed two of their picks from this week’s draft – left-hander Kailen Hamson, an eighth-rounder from the University of the Cumberlands, and right-hander Dalton Neuschwander, a 10th-rounder from the University of West Florida.
* ESPN has published its updated Orioles top 10 prospects list:
1. Catcher Samuel Basallo
2. Outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
3. Right-hander Trey Gibson
4. Right-hander Michael Forret
5. Outfielder Dylan Beavers
6. Catcher/outfielder Ike Irish
7. Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy
8. Catcher Caden Bodine
9. Outfielder Slater de Brun
10. Right-hander Braxton Bragg
Irish (19th overall), Aloy (31st), Bodine (30th) and de Brun (37th) arrived via this week’s draft.
* The Orioles return home next Friday and fans attending games will notice a difference in the scoreboard.
Construction has started on the foundation for their new scoreboard and the surrounding area, with the project set for completion by the 2026 season.
This is just one of the many upgrades coming to Camden Yards, which also includes an improved sound system, unified control room, and a premium club behind home plate where the current press box is located.
* The 16th annual Casey Cares 5K returns to the Maryland Zoo on Saturday, Aug. 2, to benefit critically ill children.
Taken directly from this amazing organization’s press release:
Whether you’re a serious runner, a stroller-pushing parent, or just in it for the smiles, this family-friendly event has something for everyone. All participants receive a race shirt, finisher medal, and the chance to spend the rest of the day exploring the zoo at a discounted rate. Costumes are encouraged, joy is guaranteed, and there’s even a virtual option for fans across the country who want to walk or run from home.
Proceeds from the event directly support the Casey Cares Foundation, a local nonprofit that brings ongoing, uplifting programs to thousands of children fighting for their lives. Your steps help fund movie nights, birthday surprises, hospital celebrations, and more — small but mighty moments that mean everything to a family in crisis.
Register now at https://www.caseycares.org/events/5k-runwalk. Do so by today to guarantee your official race T-shirt.
This year is extra special because Casey Cares is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In that time, the foundation has supported more than 500,000 brave kids and their families. But Casey Cares also will be honoring former Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz, who passed away in January.
Matusz was a board member who spent countless hours visiting children and their families in hospitals, playing Wiffle ball at Casey Cares events and attending the races even after leaving the Orioles. His family is flying in from all over the country to run the 5K in his memory.
