Interim manager Tony Mansolino didn’t know yesterday morning whether certain players would make it through the series finale against the Blue Jays. Whether he’d hear from the front office, alerting him to a trade, or at least the possibility of one.
Former manager Brandon Hyde knew the drill during the rebuild period. Mansolino is getting his first experience with it.
“There’s always things kind of cooking with that,” he said. “For a couple days, we’ve gotten a phone call during the game, essentially like, ‘Hey, heads up in these scenarios.’ So I think that’s pretty normal this time of the year if you’re a team that’s kind of selling.”
Or full-in, without-question selling.
The Orioles aren’t straddling the fence. They traded relievers Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez and infielder Ramón Urías and are receiving offers on numerous other players. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and center fielder Cedric Mullins are high on the list, with the Reds among the teams tracking Mullins. The Cubs are a possible match for Zach Eflin based on their interest level, but the Orioles also could move Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano.
We’ll have the results around 6 p.m. Don’t forget that announcements can trickle in past the buzzer, which happened last summer after first pitch at Camden Yards.
"I think everyone in this clubhouse is going to have a big sigh of relief when it’s over, kind of regardless of what goes down," Mullins said. "It’s just be able to refocus on what’s important, which is going out there and playing hard for some wins. I know guys are ready for it to pass."
Let’s sift through some of the questions that linger or are created by trade activity.
What happens to the rotation in the short term?
For the purpose of this exercise, and a few of you probably should take rest breaks, let’s assume that at least two starters are moved.
Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer are staying. That’s the easy part. Brandon Young registered the best of his eight major league appearances in Game 2 of the doubleheader before going to Double-A Chesapeake. He’s going to get another shot when he’s eligible to return.
Sugano is a wild card because he seems like the most likely of the chip trio to stay but he also could be dealt in his first season in the U.S. That’s not much help here.
Cade Povich has made four starts on his rehab assignment, including three with Triple-A Norfolk. He’s closer to a return if the numbers don’t carry much weight. He allowed four earned runs and five total with seven hits in 4 2/3 innings Saturday night.
“Rehab stuff, be careful,” Mansolino warned, adding that he doesn’t check the stats. “It’s just different, looking at results. It’s more the accumulation of work in rehab for big league players.”
Kyle Bradish has made two rehab starts and Tyler Wells one, and their returns are further down the road. Way past the trade deadline.
The Orioles didn’t list their starters for the three-game series against the Cubs that begins Friday at Wrigley Field. They need to know who’s on the roster.
Could the Orioles hold onto Eflin and make the qualifying offer?
This is an interesting – some might say fascinating – debate at the deadline.
The qualifying offer isn’t set for 2026, but it was $21.5 million this year. The Orioles could be in a win-win-win situation.
1. Trade Eflin for another prospect package, and perhaps a player who’s able to help the major league team.
2. Make Eflin the qualifying offer, assume he rejects it and get the competitive balance draft pick.
3. Make Eflin the qualifying offer, he accepts it, and you have a proven starter for the 2026 season who could be worth the cost if he stays healthy.
The Orioles could make an aggressive push for a No. 1 starter and lower Eflin in the order. That would be an ideal scenario. He posted a 2.60 ERA in nine starts last summer after the Orioles acquired him from the Rays. He's gone on the injured list twice this season with a lat strain and lower back discomfort and his ERA is 5.93 in 14 outings.
If his value has dropped - and he's posted ERAs of 5.64 in four May starts, 8.72 in five June starts and 5.79 in two starts this month - consider the QO. Most likely, they get the pick, unless he'd want to take a one-year deal and try again next offseason. And in the meantime, the rotation gets to keep a veteran with a track record.
It should be mentioned that Eflin began the season with three straight quality starts and had a stretch from May 30-June 11 where he allowed four runs in 19 2/3 innings with two walks and 18 strikeouts. He's also a leader in a clubhouse that's losing guys who qualify.
Could players with club options be traded?
This one didn't age well.
The Orioles traded reliever Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs late last night, and his contract included a $9 million option for 2026. So, yes.
Kittredge became a workhorse with seven appearances between July 20 and yesterday, when he retired the side in order in the ninth.
“That was seven out of 11 maybe that we used him, but we’re using him a lot,” Mansolino said. “He probably needs a blow here pretty soon. We didn’t want to use him today unless it was a save situation is what we said, but down one with how that game was going, we felt like if he can get through that thing, we got to (Jeff) Hoffman yesterday, maybe we’d get him today. Yeah, he’s been really good. As Mike (Elias) signed him in the winter, this was probably what we were expecting.”
Mansolino mostly gave Ramón Laureano the day off, using him as pinch-hitter. Laureano has a $6.5 million option and might be Most Valuable Oriole if he isn’t traded. A team with visions of contention in 2026 and needing outfielders must strongly consider keeping him. But, as always, it comes down to the offers.
And as we learned, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias will move players with an option.
Who’s closing?
A team in last place has bigger concerns than a closer, but Félix Bautista’s shoulder inflammation removes him from the picture for weeks rather than days. And Mansolino can’t call on Domínguez, Soto or Kittredge, who have closed in the past.
Somebody’s got to do it.
Look for Mansolino to keep piecing together innings based on pitcher availability and matchups. Corbin Martin earned his first major league save in Tuesday’s doubleheader, but Kade Strowd was warming in the ninth. And Mansolino admitted that the Orioles didn’t go into the game with grand plans to hand the ball to Martin.
“Oh, we had no idea,” he said.
Yennier Cano wasn’t available after appearing in Game 1, and his 4.89 ERA in the ninth inning is troublesome. His 5.40 ERA this season also fails to instill the proper confidence, but the opportunities might fall in his lap.