Disappointing is more than the right way to describe the way this season has gone for the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are in last place in the AL East with a 44-56 record on the season. And with the MLB trade deadline eight days away, Mike Elias is left considering trading several of the top players on his roster.
The only problem is that the players that the Orioles are planning to ship off have been struggling as of late, which could make it hard for Baltimore to receive a decent package of prospects in return. And unless something changes soon, the O's might be forced to head toward 2026 without getting much of anything out of a lost season.
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1. 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn
Despite being named an All-Star for the American League, O'Hearn hasn't been as valuable recently as he's usually been. Since the beginning of June, the lefty has recorded a dismal slashline of .207/.315/.331.
O'Hearn has been a valuable bat for the Orioles the last three seasons. Given Baltimore's recent struggles and the fact that he's set to hit free agency this winter, O'Hearn should be by far Baltimore's top trade asset for teams at the deadline. But his recent performance couldn't come at a worse time, and he doesn't offer too much else of value if he's not hitting.
2. OF Cedric Mullins
Mullins, a stalwart for years in the Orioles outfield, is another big name that has also been struggling. Mullins has recorded a slashline .182/.242/.309 since June 1st, although he does lead the team in RBI with 42 on the season. (It's been that kind of year in Baltimore.)
Several MLB teams have expressed their interest in acquiring Mullins at the deadline to add to their outfield. Mullins has played eight seasons with the Orioles and has played a crucial role in leading Baltimore to the postseason the last two years. Plus, he can still play a solid center field, which is always valuable this time of year.
But that doesn't matter nearly as much if he remains this bad at the plate, not hitting for power or for average. Mullins has been declining for a little while now, and while he's in his contract year, other teams still might shy away from this profile.
3. SP Zach Eflin
Pitching has been a major issue for the Orioles this season, and it has shown in the recent performance of Zach Eflin. In his last five starts, Eflin has recorded an 8.72 ERA. This season with the Orioles, the righty has a 6-5 record with a 5.95 ERA and has recorded 42 strikeouts.
With his recent performance, it's hard to imagine that any contending team would want to trade for Eflin, making his stay in Baltimore more likely as the trade deadline approaches. That would be a huge loss for Elias, given that he'll need to replace the righty in the rotation for 2026 anyway.
4. SP Tomoyuki Sugano
But Eflin isn't the only starting pitcher that has been struggling for the Orioles recently. Tomoyuki Sugano in his last eight starts has recorded a 6.69 ERA. Like Mullins, a change of scenery might be the best way forward for him, and he did have several suitors while coming over from Japan last winter.
While his recent struggles might hurt his trade stock, Sugano has a 7-5 pitching record on the season with 63 strikeouts. Sugano could be a valuable addition to a competitive roster at the deadline if he can improve from his recent performances.