The trade deadline shined a brighter light on the Orioles’ rotation. Jack Flaherty is in it. Very illuminating.

The five starters are confirmed: Flaherty, Kyle Gibson, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer and rookie Grayson Rodriguez. All of them right-handed with Cole Irvin staying in the bullpen.

But how long does the unit remain intact?

While addressing the buildup of bullpen innings that could empty the tanks of relievers like Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias talked about injured guys getting healthy and how the rotation could factor into it.

“Bringing in an extra starter, you can always spill over into the bullpen to help with those innings, and I think we have several legitimate, accomplished major league starting pitchers, all of whom are having good years right now,” Elias said in his video call.

Jack Flaherty has joined the Orioles after yesterday’s trade with the Cardinals, and reliever Bryan Baker is optioned to Triple-A Norfolk as the corresponding move.

Flaherty is wearing No. 15.

Baker has registered a 3.64 ERA and 1.310 WHIP in 45 appearances, and he’s averaging 5.1 walks per nine innings. He spent the entire 2022 season with the Orioles and remained one of their high-leverage relievers this year, but he’s allowed 51.5 percent of inherited runners to score, the second-most among qualified relievers.

The Orioles are a season-high 25 games above .500 and trying tonight to secure their 21^st series.

Last night’s 13-3 blowout win made them 7-1 against the Blue Jays season, assuring that they’d claim the season series, and 5-0 at Rogers Centre. Their division lead remains 1 ½ games over the Rays.

The conversations were ongoing yesterday until the final seconds of the trade deadline. The Orioles got their starter in Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty. They kept pushing to find another reliever.

They ran out of time but celebrated their modest haul.

Small in numbers, large in potential impact.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias could have reeled in a bigger fish if he were more generous with the bait, but he wasn’t going to plop prospects on the table who shouldn’t be touched.

Teams can keep asking. He can keep saying “no” and move onto the next one.

The Orioles found their starting pitcher less than 10 minutes before the trade deadline.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias acquired right-hander Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals in exchange for Triple-A left-hander Drew Rom and infielder César Prieto, and Single-A Delmarva pitcher Zack Showalter.

Flaherty, 27, is a pending free agent who’s 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 20 starts, with only 10 home runs surrendered in 109 2/3 innings. He registered a 3.30 ERA in five starts last month.

Elias made it a stated goal to find more pitching to strengthen the club’s bid for a deep run in the playoffs. Starters beyond Kyle Gibson are approaching or have bypassed their career highs in innings.

The decision to option Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie, where he reported earlier today, increased the urgency.

Less than three hours before the trade deadline arrives, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has posted a lineup that includes Adley Rutschman in the leadoff spot again and Gunnar Henderson moving down to fifth against Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu.

Henderson is the designated hitter. Jordan Westburg is playing second base, Ramón Urías is the third baseman, and Jorge Mateo is the shortstop.

Ryan Mountcastle is batting second for only the second time this season.

Ryan McKenna is the center fielder tonight.

The Orioles are 65-41, including 17-9 in July, and 1 ½ games ahead of the Rays. They’ve won 16 of their last 22.

The idea intrigued Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. He just needed to find the exact time to launch it.

Writing catcher Adley Rutschman’s name second in the lineup was steeped in logic. It made total sense. A hitter with tremendous bat control and skills, able to work a count and use every inch of the field, hitting behind the table setter.

The results were magnificent and predictable. Rutschman performed like a first-overall draft pick. The tools that drew the Orioles to him shined in the majors.

So, why mess with it?

Cedric Mullins is on the injured list again, leaving a hole atop the order. Gunnar Henderson was filling it against right-handed starters. Austin Hays was the choice against left-handers.

The Orioles begin a four-game series in Toronto tonight with Adley Rutschman settled in as the leadoff hitter and Gunnar Henderson behind him.

Rutschman has reached base six times in two games, including three singles and a walk last night.

Colton Cowser is in center field, flanked by Austin hays in left and Anthony Santander in right.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. He’s a career .306/.368/.613 hitter with 15 home runs in 45 games against the Blue Jays.

Kyle Gibson is 9-6 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.323 WHIP in 22 games, and the one starter who isn’t an innings concern to the Orioles. He’s totaled 127 this season, with his career high 196 2/3 in 2018.

Trade deadlines in the Orioles’ rebuild kept players on edge, wondering if they were headed out the door or which teammates and friends might beat them to it. They checked social media posts and read the transaction scrolls on television, which alerted a few, like second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who hadn’t heard from the team or an agent after arriving in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.

The teardown in 2018 wiped out the best players. Trey Mancini and Jorge López were dealt last summer with the Orioles in contention, the postseason odds much lower than in 2023.

Life on the buyer side isn’t as anxious.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spoke last week of the balance between aggression and caution. Of the willingness to reach in the right trade, but the refusal to torch a farm system that is fueling the resurgence.

Elias didn’t dismiss the possibility of trading from the 26-man roster but wasn’t enthused about it. He doesn’t want to mess with a good thing – a group that’s responsible for the best record in the American League and wants to stay together.

Three forearm smashes and a hand slap. That’s what awaited Adam Frazier tonight after he crossed home plate in the first inning. Before he reached the top step of the dugout.

In the middle of the latest beating administered to Yankees starter Luis Severino.

The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate, scored seven runs and turned ESPN’s first Camden Yards broadcast in five years into a challenge to avoid using every note and anecdote before the top of the second.

Frazier drove a fastball onto the flag court in right field for a three-run homer, the sixth consecutive Oriole to reach base in a 9-3 rout of the Yankees before an announced crowd of 37,429.

The three-game series drew 114,816.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn’t ready to name a starter for Thursday afternoon’s series finale in Toronto.

“This is an unusual week,” he said, smiling, “so we’ll see what happens.”

The trade deadline could influence the choice after the Orioles optioned Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie.

Jordan Montgomery is the latest starter to tumble off the board. He was dealt earlier today to the Rangers.

The urgency to address the rotation via trade seems to have increased after Wells’ demotion. His ERA has grown from 3.18 in the first half to 3.80, and his 1.021 WHIP removes him from the top spot in the majors.

The Orioles are hosting an ESPN game tonight for the first time in five years and trying to win their 20^th series following last night’s 8-3 loss to the Yankees before the second sellout crowd of the season.

Adley Rutschman is leading off again after going 0-for-2 last night with a walk and hit-by-pitch. His on-base streak has reached a career-high 14 games.

James McCann is catching, with Rutschman serving as designated hitter.

Adam Frazier is in left field and Jordan Westburg is the second baseman.

Gunnar Henderson is batting second and playing shortstop. His double last night snapped an 0-for-15 streak.

Unable to exhibit the same patience displayed during their rebuild period, the Orioles optioned struggling starter Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie after last night’s game. They made the announcement this afternoon.

Reliever Joey Krehbiel had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, and reliever Eduard Bazardo was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Wells produced a first half worthy of All-Star consideration, with a 3.18 ERA in 18 games and a 0.927 WHIP that led the majors. He’s made three starts after the break and allowed 11 runs and 10 hits with nine walks and three hit batters in only nine innings.

The final straw came last night, with Wells working only 2 2/3 innings and leaving after 63 pitches in an 8-3 loss to the Yankees. He was charged with three runs and three hits, walked three batters and hit another.

Manager Brandon Hyde said afterward that trust remained in Wells based on the first half, “but I’m also trying to win the game.”

We’re down to two days before the trade deadline and the Orioles have made one deal, with the Athletics for reliever Shintaro Fujinami on July 19. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is in contact with everyone, whether due diligence or doing it with legitimate hopes of reaching an agreement.

Elias’ 26-minute media session Friday afternoon, in the auxiliary clubhouse rather than the stifling dugout heat, provided confirmation on his plans.

Find pitching.

Elias mentioned middle relief, which also came as no surprise. Fortify the bullpen, shorten games, and ease some of the strain on other relievers and the rotation.

The club also has engaged in talks for starting pitchers, though it isn’t clear how a newcomer would fit. A six-man rotation? A current starter sent to the ‘pen?

The Orioles remain 1 ½ games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay as their series continues tonight against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

Anthony Santander hit a walk-off home run last night in a 1-0 win, improving the Orioles’ record to 20-10 in one-run games. Santander stays in right field tonight.

Manager Brandon Hyde is putting another unique spin on his lineup, batting Adley Rutschman first for the first time in the catcher’s major league career.

Rutschman extended his on-base streak to 13 games last night, tying his career high. He leads the club and American League catchers with a .368 OBP.

Gunnar Henderson moves down to second. He’s starting at shortstop, with Ramón Urías at third base.

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is confident that his club can play deep into October in its present state. However, the front office has targeted areas of improvement.The sellers from the rebuild years are now buyers in first place.

“I think if we are going to make additional acquisition trades, I would bet heavily that they’re going to be on the pitching side of things,” Elias said this afternoon. “I think it’s no secret that that would be the areas of the team that, A, we could use more depth, or B, look for upgrades, so we’re working on that right now.

“This stuff, I don’t have total control over it. It’s a two-party transaction and there’s a big market out there happening right now, and we’re participating in that market. We’ll see what comes to it, but those are obviously the conversations that are first and foremost.”

They may be exclusive, with Elias downplaying the need for a left-handed hitting center fielder following injuries to Cedric Mullins and Aaron Hicks.

The club can’t set firm dates for their returns until they reach some milestones in their recoveries.

During an interview session with media this afternoon that lasted almost 27 minutes, Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias confirmed that pitching is the top priority at the trade deadline.

Elias said that if a deal is made, bet heavily on it being on “the pitching side.” Whether it’s depth or an upgrade.

Middle relief is viewed as an area that still needs to be addressed.

Injuries to outfielders Cedric Mullins and Aaron Hicks are viewed as “temporary” and won’t prompt the club to expand their trade targets.

Elias also said the club won’t make a terrible trade and force it just to “say we did something.” He believes that the current roster is capable of making a deep playoff run, but the Orioles are trying to add to it in a seller’s market.

The Orioles are back home and in the division, beginning a three-game series tonight against the Yankees.

This is the first time in Orioles’ history that they’ve been in first place in July or later while facing a last-place Yankees team.

Gunnar Henderson has returned to the lineup tonight, leading off and playing shortstop. He missed Wednesday’s game with lower-back discomfort.

Colton Cowser is in center field. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. Ryan O’Hearn stays in the cleanup spot.

The Orioles’ last eight games have been decided by three runs or fewer, their longest streak of the season. It’s also the longest active streak in the majors, per STATS. The Brewers, Mariners and Phillies are next with six.

Austin Voth’s injury rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Norfolk yesterday, his third affiliate on the road to a return from elbow soreness that’s plagued him at various times since spring training.

Updates on three other relievers – Mychal Givens, Dillon Tate and Keegan Akin – have been scarce at best. But Voth could be close to reinstatement unless the Orioles choose to use the entire 30 days.

Or if they put heavy emphasis on results.

Voth lasted two-thirds of an inning and was charged with two earned runs and three total, with three hits, a walk and two strikeouts. He threw 33 pitches, 21 for strikes.

He’s lurking either way, a pitcher who’s out of minor league options and capable of providing length out of the bullpen when healthy.

The trade deadline is less than a week away, with pencils down Tuesday at 6 p.m. That’s it besides minor league deals. Ride or die with your roster and farm system.

The Orioles will be in Toronto for another key division series, but the work done by the front office is going to steal most of the attention.

Interest in the team has intensified, with national media and other outlets trying to pry information or predictions on the course of action from executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. But here’s the catch:

No one knows buyer Mike Elias.

Seller Mike Elias is familiar to Baltimore. But he’s moved to the other side.

PHILADELPHIA – The center field strategy for the Orioles isn’t complicated. There’s no code to break.

Colton Cowser gets most of the starts against right-handers and Austin Hays gets the bulk versus lefties. Ryan McKenna is an option after returning to the club yesterday but usually operates in a reserve role. He subbed for Cowser last night in the ninth inning.

Cedric Mullins and Aaron Hicks are on the injured list to bring the total number of players to seven. Hicks strained his left hamstring Monday night but should return before Mullins, who’s dealing with a right adductor groin strain.

Hicks is hoping to be back after 10 days. Manager Brandon Hyde isn’t as confident based on the unpredictable nature of hamstring injuries.

The Orioles remain calm while the roster churns.