3 untouchable MLB stars Orioles could acquire if they actually traded Jackson Holliday

The Baltimore Orioles have quite the budding star in Jackson Holliday. Last year, Holliday finished his minor league season batting .323 with 12 home runs through 477 ABs, making him the MLB Pipeline Hitter of the Year. It is no wonder the Orioles rushed to bring him up this year having spent only one full year in the minors.

Unfortunately, after he got the call, Holliday got a case of cold feet. He was sent back down after going 2 for 34. It’s pretty clear we didn’t get to see the best version of Jackson Holliday. His 2024 minor league campaign has been much more successful, batting .274 with eight home runs.

If Holliday’s performance doesn’t seem like the tell-tale sign of a phenom, its worth reminding the baseball world that he is only 20. Doing what he’s done at such a young age is remarkable.

Currently sitting number one on the MLB’s top 100 prospects list, scouts have graded Holliday’s hitting ability as a 70/80 with 60/80 power. A grade of 60 is above average while a grade of 70 is far above average. Another thing to note is Holliday’s tendency to draw walks. In his minor league career stretching back to 2022, Holliday owns a .447 OBP. Should this translate to the majors, the Orioles might have a Juan Soto on their hands.

Holliday also comes with a baseball pedigree as the son of former slugger Matt Holliday. After another year of development, we’ll likely see a Jackson Holiday that is comfortable in his own shoes at the major league level and ready to headline the next generation of sluggers.

But since Holiday is still prepping himself for a prosperous MLB career, what should the Orioles do in the meantime? With stars like Corbin Burnes, Gunnar Henderson, and Adley Rutschman among others, the O’s appear ready to compete for a championship this year. Would it be worth trading Holliday for a game-changing player for the best chance at winning now?

To be clear, no, the Orioles are not going to be trading Holliday.

This would be sacrificing the future to benefit now, which isn’t always a bad thing. But while this may be a tall improbability, it would never be a wasted moment to explore ways the O’s can build a dominate-all team via a Jackson Holiday trade. These three untouchable studs might be on the trading block if Holliday is in the mix.

3. Trading Jackson Holliday could get Tigers to part with SP Tarik Skubal

While the Detroit Tigers have come along way in their rebuild, their chances of making the postseason in the next few years are very slim. At the same time, the Detroit ace, Tarik Skubal, will be a free agent after the 2026 season. This leaves a limited opening for success. Should the Tigers keep Skubal like the Angels kept Ohtani, this would set them back a long way.

So far, Skubal owns a 2.45 ERA with 119 Ks making him one of the games’ elite arms. If Baltimore was to offer Holliday, the Tigers would be hard-pressed to refuse. A duo of Burnes and Skubal backed by their offense could easily make the Orioles an indomitable postseason foe.

2. Trading Jackson Holliday for Jasson Dominguez would break O's and Yankees brains

The Yankees already have a shot at the championship this year, but their future is less clear. Their main offseason priority will be to re-sign Juan Soto. But after the season is over, another outfielder will be hitting the open market with Soto. Alex Verdugo’s departure will likely make way for the Martian (Jasson Dominguez), who can play any outfield position. But these won’t be the only two Yankees who will be free agents after the season. The struggling Gleyber Torres will also be on his way out the door. It is less clear who his replacement will be.

While the Yankees do have another slugging outfielder ready to make the jump from the minors (Spencer Jones), the second base hole leaves a question mark. Jorbit Vivas (Yankees 3B/2B prospect) may need some more time in triple-A. With that said, a swap of Dominguez for Holliday could be a sufficient compromise.

The Martian has had some injury troubles and is currently on the IL. He made his MLB debut last year when he crushed the first pitch he saw from the hand of Justin Verlander into the seats at Minute Maid Park. Before his season-ending surgery, the switch-hitting Dominguez went 8-for-31 with four home runs.

Before getting hurt again this year, the Martian put on a spectacular show. Through only 87 ABs, Domiguez hit for a .356 AVG pounding six homers with a .404 OBP. He is also touted for his excellent plate discipline. The Martian is certainly as advertised. There is no question why the Yankees never considered pawning him, but for Jackson Holliday, this might change.

Unlike other stars, Dominguez is still a prospect, which would give the Orioles plenty of years of control. This is one instance where Baltimore wouldn’t be sacrificing the future.

With the Martian returning later this year and no spot for him in the Yankees’ lineup, he could definitely give the Orioles some outfield help for the foreseeable future, but only for the right price.

1. Trading Jackson Holliday could land the Orioles OF Kyle Tucker

The Houston Astros aren’t exactly playing like themselves this year. Many injuries to important players have essentially hobbled them. One such injured player is Kyle Tucker. Before falling on the IL, Tucker was on an epic tear, hitting 19 home runs through only 214 ABs with a .266 average.

Tucker is one of those players that can do it all. He’s won a gold glove as well as a silver slugger, and he can steal bases. The Astros have been fairly cold on trading Tucker. Their intent is to keep Tucker as they see him as a key piece that may bring them another World Series title.

However, Tucker will be a free agent after 2025. One would think a Jackson Holliday trade would be a no-brainer for the seemingly closed-minded Astros. If traded, Tucker could help the Orioles win championships this year and next. Still, the value proposition here might not work in their favor as they’ll have Tucker for a very limited time. But his presence in the Baltimore lineup could make all the difference for the remainder of that time.