The MLB trade deadline is just under two months away, which means it's officially rumor season. The complete list of buyers and sellers at this season's deadline has yet to fully be revealed, though teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox have some idea of what their plans could be if they continue to trend in the wrong direction.
For all three of the teams listed, this means flipping expiring assets while they still can. If the Orioles or Red Sox, for example, believe they can turn their seasons around in the months leading up to the deadline, then they can afford to be patient. For others like the Pirates, White Sox and Rockies, the deadline sell-off ought to start as soon as possible.
Latest round of MLB Rumors
- What's the Pirates actual plan with Paul Skenes
- Red Sox could part ways with a free agent they just signed
- The Orioles have no idea what they're doing
What's the Pirates actual plan with Paul Skenes
While every baseball pundit and their mother has devised a trade package centered around freeing second-year hurler Paul Skenes from the clutches of the Pittsburgh Pirates, that is not in the franchise's best interest at this point. Rather, the Pirates intend on building around Skenes – not to mention, Bob Nutting isn't about to let lame duck GM Ben Cherington trade away the team's greatest asset and revenue driver when he's under contract through 2030 at least. ESPN's Jeff Passan noted this in his most recent notebook:
"Easy as it is to construct a valid argument for the Pirates to trade Skenes right now, he won't go anywhere absent a "Godfather" offer. There are simply no comparable pitchers who have been traded within two years of their major league debut. So interested teams will instead pick at the Pirates' leftovers," Passan wrote.
Instead, it is far more likely that the Pirates trade the likes of Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham and Isiah Kiner-Filefa if there are any takers. Heaney in particular should be of value given how he is pitching these days. As for bigger fish Pittsburgh might be willing to part with, look no further than Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes, who are not playing up to their current contracts.
Red Sox could part ways with a free agent they just signed
It's been widely-reported that the San Diego Padres are interested in trading Jarren Duran, the likelihood of such a deal is slim in comparison to, say, starting pitcher Walker Buehler. The Red Sox have the depth to pull off a big move, but this is also a team that invested much of its wealth in future assets – think top prospects and multiyear extensions.
Buehler is a two-time All-Star, and won the World Series twice with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His 4.44 ERA is below his standard, but he is signed to a one-year deal, which makes him an attractive rental for a team that is actually contending. Boston, as of this writing, is not doing that. As Passan wrote, Boston should not be under .500 given the talent they have amassed:
"The Red Sox shouldn't be under .500. Regardless of the wounds -- both external and self-inflicted -- they are replete with enough talent to secure an AL playoff spot. If the ugliness continues, though, turning an eye toward 2026 is on the table," Passan said.
The good news for the Sox is that they are built for the long haul. They have some of the best young players in baseball in Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, along with Kristian Campbell, who they showed faith in by signing him to a long-term contract. Making the right moves this deadline in hopes to retool for next season could make sense.
The Orioles have no idea what they're doing
What started as a season full of hope for the Baltimore Orioles has quickly gone down the toilet, for lack of a better term. The Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde just a few weeks ago. The starting rotation hasn't been the same since Baltimore let Corbin Burnes leave in free agency. While the O's still have a ton of young talent, they may be in a similar position to the Red Sox if they cannot turn things around quickly.
The Orioles are 14 games under .500 and just as many games back in the AL East as of this writing. They have a slim chance at the AL Wild Card, but Baltimore would need a lot of things to go right between now and late July to justify buying at the deadline – or even just moderately selling.
Assuming a jarring turnaround isn't in their future, the O's could be in a great position to sell on first baseman Ryan O'Hearn, who despite the chaos surrounding Baltimore's clubhouse, is having a breakout season of his own. O'Hearn ranks fifth in wRC+ behind the usual suspects like Aaron Judge, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, but can be had for a fraction of the price by a contender willing to pay up.