MLB Trade Rumors: Orioles Looking at Major Additions

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Baltimore Orioles are waist-deep in the trade mmarket and have their eyes on some big-name additions.

"The Orioles’ targets, according to major-league sources, include Chicago White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy, Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau and Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Michael Young.-snip-In any case, the Orioles’ aggression is notable. Sources say the team is even willing to move one of its top prospects, right-hander Dylan Bundy, for the right return."

Despite having heard earlier that Baltimore had exhausted their financial resources after adding Scott Feldman, the O’s went out and landed Francisco Rodriguez from Milwaukee. Owner Peter Angelos has deep pockets and has tried to out-spend the league in years past, but the 2013 payroll is already among the highest his club has ever had.

While the players mentioned by Rosenthal above are all veteran pieces that would be sure to fortify Baltimore’s push toward the playoffs, certainly none of them would be worth giving up one of the best young pitching prospects in the game, even one that will likely miss all of the 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Still, if Baltimore is trying to add someone like Peavy, who is under contract for $14.5 million next year with a $15 million player option for 2015, without having to take on significant dollars, they’ll need to spend big in terms of prospects to get Chicago to foot most of the salary involved.