Orioles looking to be buyers ahead of deadline
The Baltimore Orioles have a winner, and they're looking to take that next step.
"As things stand today, our deadline work is identifying potentially available players that will increase our odds at a playoff run," general manager Mike Elias said, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
"I think we have the talent in the system that other teams will find it appealing to talk to us. The breadth and depth of the sell side of the trade market is hard for me to read right now, though."
The Orioles, led by Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and other young stars who recently graduated through the team's farm system, sit second in the competitive AL East at 52-35. They're three games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
Elias' comments come months after a largely quiet offseason. In February, CEO and chairman John Angelos said the team was not ready to invest, stating their surprisingly competitive 2022 campaign was an overachievement.
It's unclear which players will be available at the deadline, but the Orioles will most likely be targeting starting pitching help. Despite the impressive season, their rotation ranks 25th in MLB, according to FanGraphs' WAR.
The O's haven't made the postseason since 2016 and haven't won a playoff contest since 2014. They lost more than 100 games in 2018, 2019, and 2021.