For the 1st time in a long time, the Baltimore Orioles have a chance to make a playoff run. They'll improve their roster by upgrading over these 3 players.
The wait is finally seemingly over for Baltimore Orioles fans. The Orioles appear to be a legitimate contender in the American League, even finding themselves in first place in the daunting AL East. And this success isn't a fluke, and it is extremely sustainable.
Baltimore is built around a young core of players with team control and a loaded farm system to continue replenishing that talent. The number one prospect in all of baseball resides in the Orioles organization, while younger players like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez continue to work towards success in the MLB. This team success would only get better with the improvement over these three players.
Orioles rumors: Cole Irvin will be replaced by a better starter for a playoff push
The Orioles will likely be in the market for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. Every contending team typically tests the market for starters at the deadline because pitching can push a team through the playoffs and Baltimore will be no different. With their deep farm system, they have the prospect capital to make a splash in the coming days if they decide to.
And the odd man out in this situation would be Cole Irvin. As of now, the Orioles employ six starting pitchers on their roster, with Grayson Rodriguez sitting as a bit of a question mark. With Rodriguez being so young and the Orioles likely to explore an upgrade at starter, a pitcher or two of the six could be on the chopping block and Irvin would be the first to get the axe.
Irvin has two options on the rest of his 2023 season, until September's roster expansion. Option one consists of Irvin being moved to Triple-A for the foreseeable future. Option two would leave him in the MLB as a bullpen option, but that could be less likely as the Orioles will continue to upgrade in their bullpen after already adding Shintaro Fujinami from the Athletics.
Orioles rumors: Logan Gillaspie's production won't cut it out of the Baltimore bullpen
As many baseball fans know and understand, bullpen talent and depth is crucial to a successful playoff run. For the Baltimore Orioles, they already have one of the most talented bullpens in the MLB, only adding more talent recently with the acquisition of Shintaro Fujinami. But the second piece of the puzzle there is depth, and every contending could use an upgrade there.
But with the Orioles likely to add depth via a trade, they're going to have to lose pieces that are currently on the roster and the first to go will likely be Logan Gillaspie. The right-handed reliever will end up spending the rest of the season and the postseason in Triple-A, as he does still have options remaining. So far in 2023, he's logged nine innings allowing 14 hits and five walks.
This is no knock on Gillaspie as he still has a ton of time and team control in order to have a long and successful career within the Baltimore organization, but with so many bullpen options available at the deadline, the Orioles will continue to upgrade their bullpen for the 2023 season and that leaves the young righty, Logan Gillaspie off the postseason roster.
Orioles rumors: Bryan Baker will be replaced by a trade deadline acquisition before August 1
In a postseason bullpen, every pitcher has their role. The same can be said for any team in recent memory as analytics have taken over the game. There are power right-handed pitchers, 8th-inning guys, lefty specialists and high-leverage guys. There are strikeout pitchers that can be brought in for specific jams when a K is needed. But a few players don't really fit this mold of having a specific role where they are there just to eat innings.
These players often end up replaced on postseason rosters, where every pitcher matters. Bryan Baker finds himself in the middle of the Baltimore bullpen without a true role. Although he averages over ten K/9, he still isn't their go-to strikeout pitcher. He's not their 8th or 9th-inning guy and he doesn't provide a true lefty specialist that can be used against the game's best left-handed hitters.
This lack of a true specialty is exactly why the Orioles will likely be able to comfortably upgrade from Baker at the deadline. There are a ton of available relievers on the market that can serve a better purpose for the first place O's compared to Baker. Orioles' fans have been out in uproar, calling for his replacement. They may just get their wish before the August 1st trade deadline.
