MLB trade rumors: 5 pitchers Orioles need

1. Ivan Nova

The ship is sinking for the Pirates. It has become widely accepted that they will shop ace Gerrit Cole as the deadline approaches. What remains to be see is how available right-hander Ivan Nova will be. He is signed to a very affordable $26-million contract for two more years beyond 2017.

Nova was acquired as a reclamation project for Ray Searage last July, and the results speak to his reputation as one of the greatest pitching coaches of his generation. Since landing in Pittsburgh, Nova is 9-5 with a 2.85 ERA and a 12.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His command has been nothing short of spectacular.

Staying healthy was always the biggest concern with Nova during his early days with the Yankees. He won 16 games in his age-24 season, but ne

ver threw more than 200 innings in a season with New York.

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There are a few reasons Nova is attractive to the Orioles. First is his ability to pound the zone with quality strikes. Dylan Bundy is the only starter currently in the rotation who can be counted on to pitch efficiently and limit walks. Nova’s ability to pitch deep into games would give the Orioles another, more reliable option. He is also signed beyond this season, another big key for the Orioles. Chris Tillman is a free agent after the year, and does not appear fully healthy in his walk year. Constantly settling for rental pitchers without developing their own has left the Orioles with a potential rotation Armageddon entering 2018.