4 Baltimore Orioles to blame for losing two vital ALDS home games

Baltimore Orioles to blame: Mike Elias and front office

The Orioles knew they had a starting pitching problem at the MLB trade deadline. Heck, I could have told them that. Their solution to that problem was evidently Jack Flaherty, who hasn't played up to par since he was acquired by Baltimore. In the Charm City, they should expect more from this front office.

Yes, trading away top-100 prospects isn't ideal. Yet, when you're a team like the O's, you can afford to take the risk. The Orioles entered the season with more than seven players in the MLB Pipeline top-100 prospects list. Even now, after graduating several of those player, the O's still have six prospects ranked in the top-100. More are coming, and they will contribute.

Suffice to say, the Orioles can afford to trade at least one, if not more, top-100 prospects for the right player. Baltimore is short starting pitching, so it would have made a lot of sense for Elias to trade for a veteran ace to lead their postseason push. Flaherty was not enough, though a nice idea at the time.

No, I'm not saying sell the farm. Yet, Baltimore's World Series window is open. They need to make sure to make the right move, especially at the trade deadline, rather than sitting on affordable talent just because they can foot the bill.