Orioles linked to two pitchers from team that has made trade deadline plans clear

The Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds are both teams that could be very active at the trade deadline but in very different directions.

The Reds have been thought to be on the fence of buying and selling. But following an embarrassing three game sweep to the Washington Nationals, MLB insider Jon Morosi is reporting that the Reds will look to sell on some of their expiring contracts including pitchers Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez.

Reds and Orioles could match up before the deadline if Baltimore strikes out on big names

On the other hand, the Orioles are certainly going to be buyers with their eyes firmly set on adding pitching before the deadline. Baltimore is in the market for both starting pitching and a few relief arms. They could dive deep into the market in the coming days with their sights set on any level arm, from Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal to Reds bullpen arms Buck Farmer and Justin Wilson. Expect the Orioles to check in on all possible options in the coming days.

I would expect Baltimore to have their sights set on the bigger fish in the water right now though.

Baltimore could be in the market for star pitchers like Mason Miller, Tarik Skubal, Tanner Scott and Camilo Doval among others. But, with these stars likely costing the Orioles a ton of prospect capital including some of their top ten talent that they value quite highly, there's a world where the Orioles don't land any true star at the deadline.

If they strike out on these big names, I imagine that they fall down their trade board a little and land on a trade or two with the Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati has quite the slew of pitchers to offer up in these potential trades.

The most intriguing options are Buck Farmer, Montas, and Martinez. They could provide depth the Orioles desperately need for the second half of the season.

Montas has a 4.85 ERA in 89 innings this year. He's had great showings and he's had poor showings. There is always a chance for him to turn his season back around with a new team, especially one as desperate for pitching as Baltimore is.

Martinez holds a 3.88 ERA on the season. He has looked much better in a relief role, holding a 1.94 ERA in 46.1 innings as a reliever compared to an ERA near 8.00 in five starts. He could be a solid long relief option.

Farmer, signed to a one-year deal, would be the cheapest option of the three and he holds an ERA under 3.00. He's put up a solid 1.0 WAR and has been a solid reliever out of the Reds bullpen.