Former MLB player has shocking Jackson Holliday take that Orioles fans will hate

The Baltimore Orioles are first place in the AL East and owners of the second-best record in the American League. It hasn't been the smoothest of sailing lately, but there isn't a single organization better positioned for the present and the future. Baltimore has as much talent and depth as any roster in the league, and a farm system beyond compare.

If the O's play their cards right, this team should be contending for the next decade-plus. New ownership means Baltimore can finally shell out some cash in free agency and operate aggressively on the trade front. The Corbin Burnes trade is a proof of concept. Even if Burnes ends up as a one-year rental, the Orioles turned their remarkable stash of young talent into a top-five pitcher. The 29-year-old Cy Young candidate has a chance to start in the World Series now.

Baltimore still has plenty more trade ammo where that came from, and Mike Elias is expected to pursue talent upgrades ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. Another starting pitcher would do the O's some good, while plugging various holes in the offense and reinforcing depth could ensure that the Yankees never catch up.

If the Orioles want to get truly bold, however, there are few more valuable trade chips than the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, Jackson Holliday. The No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, Holliday is 20 years old and has always felt untouchable. After a rocky MLB debut earlier this season, however, trade rumors involving the talented infield prospect are starting to pop up. That doesn't mean it's likely, but if the O's want to target a Tarik Skubal, for example, Holliday could be what is required to get the job done.

Former Minnesota Twins infielder Trevor Plouffe, host of the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast, has a fairly warm take about Holliday's trade deadline status.

Former MLB player predicts Jackson Holliday is 'biggest name traded' at deadline

In short, Plouffe believes the O's are ready to go all-in. And it's hard to disagree with the argument. Baltimore's MLB squad is stacked, as is the farm system. Baltimore can trade Holliday and still retain several of elite prospects while putting the big-league squad in poll position in the American League.

The example on the podcast is a trade for both Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. Again, Skubal has come up in connection with Baltimore, but the Detroit Tigers are driving a hard bargain for the AL Cy Young favorite. Well, Holliday probably gets that deal across the finish line. Detroit gets a building block for the future, and the O's pair the two leading Cy Young candidates atop their rotation. Skubal is 27 with multiple years of affordable team control over his contract. Is that not a win-win scenario?

It's undeniably risky to trade Holliday. He was the No. 1 pick for a reason, and the hype surrounding his name is rooted in more than just his father. It's rare to find 20-year-olds with Holliday's bat-to-ball skills, power, and athleticism. This season has been a bit of a struggle in unexpected ways, but at 20, Holliday is just scratching the surface of his potential. Most prospects don't sniff the MLB until 23, 24, 25. Anybody throwing in the towel on Holliday for a bad month at 20 is either disingenuous and straight-up foolish.

The counterargument to trading Holliday is simple. The O's can win the World Series without trading him. The whole idea of sustainability involves bringing up the next wave of young stars behind this initial batch. If Baltimore cleans out the farm system for a win-now move, it could get harder to build out this roster four, five, six years down the line.

If the O's trade Holliday, it has to be for a true needle-mover. I am skeptical of Chicago trading both Crochet and Robert in the same deal, so Skubal is really the only name mentioned to date that merits even the faintest consideration of a Holliday trade. Others will point to Oakland Athletics fireballer Mason Miller, but trading Holliday for a closer (even if that closer wants to start again) reads as foolish.

It will be interesting to see which direction the O's lean in the weeks to come. Trading Holliday would certainly cause a stir in the Baltimore fandom. That much is certain.