3 pitchers the Orioles should regret passing on at the MLB trade deadline

The Baltimore Orioles risk falling into an 0-2 hole against the Texas Rangers thanks in large part to the Texas lineup, which has made the O's pitching look, well, not up to par. Baltimore was willing to take that risk heading into the postseason, with Mike Elias choosing not to part ways with any of their top-level prospects at the trade deadline.

There's an argument to be made here, and it's not that the Orioles should trade away all of their top prospects. Prospects eventually become exciting young MLB players, and should they work out, they'll be relatively inexpensive for the Orioles to retain. I get that. Nonetheless, the O's clung to their farm system, and perhaps Elias will want to rethink that strategy should they lose in the playoffs to Texas.

The Orioles World Series window is wide open. It would be a shame to waste such a golden opportunity.

The Orioles should have traded for Jordan Montgomery, not Jack Flaherty

The Orioles traded for the wrong St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, and it was easy to identify at the time of the deal. Baltimore refused to include any of their top prospects in trades for pitchers elsewhere, so they turned to St. Louis, who offered up Jack Flaherty. Flaherty had a couple of decent starts with the O's, but eventually faded down the stretch. Now, he likely won't play much of a role in the team's postseason run.

Montgomery, meanwhile, has looked like a legitimate ace down the stretch for Texas. With Max Scherzer, their other trade deadline acquisition, injured, Montgomery has stepped in and likely made himself a lot of money this winter. Starting against Baltimore on Sunday and perhaps down the line against another worthy foe in the ALCS, Montgomery has proven he's more than just a mid-rotation starting pitcher when a team invests in him.