Former MLB player offers the boldest Jackson Holliday take yet

The MLB trade deadline is a time for rumors to run wild, whether they're realistic or not. Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, has found his name in rumors for that exact reason. Is it really realistic to expect the Baltimore Orioles would consider trading him at the trade deadline? Of course not, but it's fun to speculate.

Well, former MLB catcher Erik Kratz disagrees. He doesn't only say Holliday might get traded, he says that the young infielder will get traded. That's a bold claim, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for him.

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Erik Kratz offers the boldest of Jackson Holliday takes that you'll see

It's safer to say Holliday isn't going anywhere or that he might go somewhere if the Orioles deem the price worthwhile, but to say he will get traded is very, very bold. How often do we see the No. 1 overall prospect by most outlets get dealt? The No. 1 prospect for a team we see get traded all the time, but overall? Holliday is projected to be a special player. A potential superstar. He's not expected to be just a strong MLB regular, or even an All-Star. He's expected to be so much more.

For the Orioles to even consider trading a player of Holliday's magnitude, it'd have to be for a different young star who makes the Orioles better now while still being under control for the future. As Kratz mentioned, the Orioles would have to be considered clear World Series favorites to consider moving a player like him.

Tarik Skubal fits the mold as a player Baltimore might be comfortable trading Holliday for, but is there anyone else out there who's worth trading Holliday for who might even be available? Nobody knows if the Tigers would even consider a Skubal trade realistically. To assume a deal is going to happen hedging bets on Skubal being dealt is, again, bold.

The Orioles are in an interesting spot. They have more prospects than they know what to do with on the position player side, and a large majority of them are or are close to being MLB-ready. Holliday has proven just about all he can in the minors and should be given another shot. He might not get that shot this season. That might make it more likely that they entertain an offer, but the right return has to be there.

What makes Kratz's take particularly interesting is that the Orioles can get virtually anyone they want without including Holliday. Any combination of players like Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, Coby Mayo, Chayce McDermott, and Samuel Basallo can get the Orioles a superstar with club control. Heck, if they combine three or four of those players with a couple of other prospects they might even have enough for Skubal.

Would it be fun if Holliday is traded? Absolutely. Should we be rooting for it? Those who love chaos certainly should. Will it happen? It's so hard to bank on that. Holliday is too good of a prospect to ever predict him being involved in a deal, and it's not like Juan Soto is available this time around. It'd be fun, but it doesn't make much sense to say with certainty that the No. 1 prospect in baseball will get traded.