Orioles trade candidates who could end up in enemy territory
LHP Trevor Rogers
One of the few bright spots for the Orioles this season has been southpaw Trevor Rogers, who has delivered Cy Young-level dominance when available. He has a 1.35 ERA and 0.87 ERA through 17 starts (106.2 innings), which is not an unsubstantial sample size. An All-Star with the Marlins back in 2021 and still only 27 years old, Rogers' ceiling is incredibly high. We can expect plenty of trade interest to percolate this offseason, as he enters his walk year.
Ideally the O's to stand pat, especially with their current shortage on the mound. But if Elias misreads the long game and attempts to sell high, Rogers has the stuff to make Baltimore live in regret for years to come. He shouldn't be on the block, but with this front office, never say never.
LHP Keegan Akin
There is always a market for productive relievers. Keegan Akin, entering his final season of arbitration eligibility, could end up on the trade block as a result. It has been a brutal season for the Orioles bullpen, but Akin has mostly persevered to deliver his standard, rock-solid numbers. He has a 3.52 ERA and 1.39 WHIP through 61.1 innings, picking up four saves for the O's. He's probably not a closer on a good team, but plenty of rival contenders would jump at the opportunity to plug Akin into a lower-leverage role.
Baltimore can't afford to bleed talent in the bullpen, but it's easy to picture Elias jumping at the opportunity to add a few back-end prospects and not doing much to fill Akin's void in the bullpen. It's like... his whole deal, after all.
C Adley Rutschman
There are already reports of Adley Rutschman emerging as a prime offseason trade candidate. We shall see if it actually manifests, but it would be in keeping with Elias' general reluctance to hand out sizable long-term contracts. Even after a down season, any Rutschman extension would run well into nine-figure territory. He's a major talent with a stellar track record at a relatively weak (but extremely important) position. He's also 27, so there's plenty of time to get healthy and turn the ship around.
Rutschman has a .227 average and .684 OPS with a 94 wRC+ in 348 plate appearances this season. It's been rough. But he was a back-to-back All-Star in his previous two seasons, widely viewed as MLB's best catcher and a foundational pillar of the new-look Orioles. Now, Samuel Basallo has come to claim full-time catcher duties. Trading Rutschman at such a low point in his value would almost certainly qualify as a mistake, but the Orioles are running out of time to pay him (which they won't), as he's a free agent after 2027. With Basallo taking priority, that's only more incentive for the front office to rush into an ill-fated trade.
Ideally the O's would at least have enough sense to keep Rutschman out of the division (heck, out of the American League entirely), but we know teams like New York, Boston and even Toronto will come with strong offers. Trading Rutschman feels inevitable. All Orioles fans can hope for is a deal that does not actively come back to bite them face-to-face.