There are a lot of things about being a seller at the deadline that are not fun, one of those things is that you are trading away players that you know, whose jersey you own and have given you great moments in exchange for prospects you haven’t heard of, whose jersey you don’t own and who may never even make it to the big leagues.
With this trade deadline preview I am going to try to mitigate some of that not knowing and familiarize myself (and in the process the reader) with the prospects the Orioles could potentially trade for.
You might be asking yourself, how do you know what prospects the Orioles front office is going to be targeting at the deadline?
The answer to that is that I don’t, but I do know what kind of prospects the Orioles need to be targeting so that’s who this preview is about.
The Orioles need starting pitching so much more than any other position it’s crazy. Their farm system has more pretty good position player prospects than could ever fit on an MLB roster and at the same time I don’t know if there are 5 future MLB starting pitchers currently in the Orioles farm.
The O’s don’t just need pitching in general, they need pitching right now. So the only thing I care about the Orioles acquiring at this deadline is starting pitching prospects who could be starting games for the Baltimore Orioles in 2026. If Mike Elias trades Cedric Mullins for a 19 year old left handed corner outfielder striking out 45% of the time in high A then I think that’s grounds for him to be fired and potentially charged with a felony.
So for this preview we are only looking at young starting pitching prospects (or sometimes non prospects) either in Triple A or Double A that could pitch in the majors next year because if those aren’t the pitchers that Elias is targeting at this deadline then what are we doing here?
Process Notes
The criteria for ranking these pitchers was something of a rich tapestry but the biggest factor besides how good the player is was how soon the player could be pitching in the majors helping the Orioles win games. So you’ll see some pitchers that are either already in the majors or at the very end of their triple A tenure ranked much higher than pitchers who are in double A and might not debut until the end of 2026 or even 2027.
I wanted the list to be inclusive so I didn’t exclude either pitchers that are considered too good to be traded or pitchers that are too bad to be traded for. At the top of the list are guys that would be prohibitively expensive or untouchable in trades and at the bottom are guys who may never debut in the big leagues (if you don’t believe me scroll to the bottom of the list and check out those guys) and the fertile area for trades is probably in the middle of the list.
I obviously couldn’t be completely inclusive, I did exclude prospects from teams I think won’t be buying at the deadline but I could be wrong, you never know what the Angels are going to do. I also excluded the Mariners because they made the Josh Naylor trade and I feel that rules them out from any of the Orioles trade pieces.
I did make plenty of reference to MLB pipeline rankings, normally I like check a few different rankings but this was already so much googling without that I just kept it at pipeline so sorry if that offends.
Before we get started, I want to give a shoutout to Duke Hill, the creator of Prospect Savant, whose site we are going to be referencing A LOT in this preview. Go on there and check it out!
- Logan Henderson
MLB Pipeline Ranking: Milwaukee Brewers #6, Top 100 #81
Age: 23
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
The Brewers are so good at pitching that this young pitcher who was one of the best pitchers in the minors last year came up and looked nasty for them and they sent him down because he’s like their 7th best option in the rotation. In fact if you’re talking about really good young pitchers that the Brewers sent back down to minors after nothing but success there’s actually ANOTHER pitcher that comes to mind first in Chad Patrick.
The Brewers do have some older pitchers ticketed for free agency currently in their rotation so it’s not like Henderson is permanently blocked but it does seem like he’s behind Misiorowski, Priester, and Patrick as far as their young guy pecking order goes, not to mention Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myer and DL Hall all hanging around as well.
You can never have too much pitching but pitching seems to come easy to the Brewers and offense does not so would they consider trading Henderson for a rental bat and maybe some position player prospects?
If the O’s traded for Henderson he would immediately be one of the top 3 starting pitchers currently active on the roster. I might be dreaming but let me dream.
- Andrew Painter
MLB Pipeline Ranking: Phillies #1, Top 100 #8
Age: 22
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Andrew Painter is a top 5 pitching prospect in all of baseball and not likely to be traded for a rental so if the O’s end up with Painter at the deadline that means that something drastic happened.
One thing about Painter is that despite his prospects status and his stuff being really good (5 well above averages pitched according to psStuff+) he has been getting hit pretty hard this season. Both his ERA and his FIP are above 5 which means the results have been poor and it doesn’t seem like he’s getting unlucky. He has a high BABIP which you could assume would go down but he gives up a lot of Barrels and guys that get barreled up tend to have high BABIPs.
His poor triple A performance might make it so he doesn’t debut for the Phils this year at least as a starter but I wouldn’t get too down on him, his 70 grade fastball would be the best pitch in the entire Orioles org besides what prime Felix was throwing.
One thing to appreciate is that Painter has great command and an excellent K/BB ratio which is basically a foreign concept for Orioles pitching prospects.
- Jonah Tong
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets #2, Top 100 #53
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Jonah Tong has jaw dropping numbers in AA. The Mets would be crazy to trade this guy away but if somehow the Orioles could convince them that this is the year they can’t afford to miss out on the World Series then it’s possible he could be moved.
Here’s my best pitch to David Stearns.
“Hey Dave it’s Mike, remember how we worked together in Houston? Anyway so the Dodgers kind of stink this year and the NL Central teams are paper tigers as usual so this could be the year you guys win it all. It would suck if you didn’t make the World Series because you lost the division because your bullpen was shaky and your outfield defense was terrible. What if I sent you Cedric Mullins and Seranthony Dominguez and you gave over a random pitching prospect like IDK Jonah Tong or someone like that. Call me back when you get the chance, thanks!”
Do you think that would work? Probably not 😦
Editors note: While I was finishing editing this the Orioles traded Gregory Soto to the Mets for a decent return which doesn’t eliminate the Mets from doing another trade with the O’s but it is much less likely now than it was a couple hours ago. I’m going to leave my list as is though.
- Nolan Mclean
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets #3, Top 100 #65
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Nolan Mclean would have been the highest drafted pitcher of the Mike Elias era and instead he’s the one that got away. I really like Mclean, he’s got a lot of pitches he can throw but the standout is his sweeper that boasts a 32% whiff rate.
Looking at his pitches and how he uses them and the movement they get the name that comes to mind is Kyle Bradish. Wouldn’t it be cool to have 2 Kyle Bradishes?
- Cam Schlittler
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #3, Top 100 #96
Age: 24
Current Level: MLB
Throws: R
Schlittler is already making an impact on the major league roster and even though it’s just been 2 starts and they haven’t been perfect I am impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Not to mention he was absolutely dominating in triple A this season before getting called up. The results have been good as far as ERA and WHIP and under the hood the whiff and chase metrics back it up that he isn’t getting lucky. He also has some of the best psStuff+ numbers I’ve seen in this whole process.
Would the Yankees trade him though? The Yankees also need starting pitching but not as bad as they need infield help and bullpen help. I’m not sure that the Yankees would want Schlittler making playoff starts this season and then long term they have Cole, Fried, Rodon and Gil under contract all for multiple years so it’s not like the future of the Yankees rotation rests on Schlittler’s shoulders.
I’m not sure the O’s have anything the Yankees want bad enough to trade especially now that as I’m typing this they just traded for Ryan McMahon.
- Taj Bradley
Not a prospect
Age: 24
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
The Rays are an interesting team to trade with. Everyone always talks about how much smarter the Rays are than everyone and that if they want one of your guys you should hang up and reevaluate your guys and that reputation is partly true. The Rays also have their fair share of face palm trades. They traded away Christopher Sanchez and Joe Ryan who are now two of the best pitchers in baseball and they traded Kyle Manzardo for Aaron Civale of all people.
The thing about the Rays is that even though they’ve made these mistakes it really doesn’t matter because they are such a talent development factory so they can afford to cast off future all star pitchers because their rotation is always going to be stocked with talent.
Most recently the Rays options once highly touted Taj Bradley because he just isn’t quite good enough to be in their rotation. Well he’d be a welcome addition to the Orioles rotation so let’s make a deal.
- Mick Abel
MLB Pipeline: Philadelphia Phillies #6, Top 100 #93
Age: 23
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
Mick has been dangling as trade bait leading up to this offseason. The idea is that the Phillies rotation is pretty much all under contract for the next 3-4 years and if they’re going to clear a space for a rookie it would be Painter so that makes Abel more available, especially considering Dave Dombrowski’s willingness to jettison young talent to win now.
Abel has been really good in the minors this year and up and down in the majors. That’s pretty normal for a young pitcher so I wouldn’t be worried about his 5.04 ERA in 6 MLB starts, in fact most of the bad came all in one start against the Padres where he went 1.2 innings 5 ER and blew up his stats before getting sent back down.
There’s a bit of a stink of Mick Abel’s name for Orioles fans because his name keeps appearing in mock trades for Felix Bautista and while yes I agree that would be too high a price for Abel if the Orioles could turn any of their expected deadline pierces into Abel that would be a huge win. Abel would be an instant upgrade from the Povich, McDermott and Young trio.
- Chad Patrick
Not a prospect
Age: 26
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
I mentioned Chad Patrick in the Logan Henderson blurb and most of what I said about Henderson could be said about Patrick. Patrick has made 18 starts at a 3.52 ERA, if you’re keeping track at home that would be enough to make you the ace of the Baltimore Orioles, but for the Brewers it just means he got optioned once their better pitchers got healthy. Would love to trade for him and plug him right into the Orioles rotation.
If I was Mike Elias I would call the Brewers and to offer our best rental bats and when they asked who I want I would say just send over whichever triple A arm you don’t want.
- Miguel Ullola
MLB Pipeline: Houston Astros #4
Age: 23
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Ullola combines a really good fastball with a really good slider to get really good results. If he can improve his command even a little bit he’ll be a decent 4-5 starter and if it takes a decent step forward (which it still could he’s only 23) he could be 2-3 starter for a team, especially if that team is the Orioles.
Wishing and hoping for improved command is something the Orioles are very used to doing, so acquiring Ullola and trying to fix that one tool would not be new task for the Orioles pitching coaches. If Ullola was the biggest name the Orioles brought in this deadline I’d consider that a big win.
- River Ryan
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers #8
Age: 26
Current Level: MLB (IL)
Throws: R
River Ryan was very good at every level of the minor leagues and in a very limited sample in the Major Leagues it looked like he was going to be good there too. He got Tommy John surgery almost a year ago so he most likely won’t be back in time to help the Dodgers win the World Series but he should be able to have a pretty normal spring training leading into next season.
The Dodgers have the chance to be the first team to repeat since the 2000 Yankees so I think it is possible that they could be convinced to part with Ryan since he can’t help them much this year anyway and their rotation is pretty much set under contract for the next 5 seasons with Glasnow, Snell, Ohtani and Yamamoto all having signed 9 figure deals.
Assuming Ryan can come back from Tommy John and be himself again he’d be one of the top arms in the O’s rotation next season and bring some much needed velocity to a largely soft tossing group.
- Carlos Rodriguez
MLB Pipeline: Milwaukee Brewers #23
Age: 23
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
If Logan Henderson is a little blocked in the Brewers system then Carlos Rodriguez is super blocked. He’s not a very highly regarded prospect by the ranking services but he’s pitched a lot of innings in the minors and been very good over a large sample of innings.
Lots of innings, more strikeouts than innings, decent walk numbers, good WHIP, this guys just needs a chance and with the trade deadline coming up he might be the guy that gets the Brewers their rental bat for the playoff push.
I’m not doing mock trades as part of this but Ryan O’Hearn would look very natural in Brewers colors.
- Payton Tolle
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox #3, Top 100 #94
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
The Red Sox drafted Tolle just last year and he;s impressed so far. In just 67 innings in double A this season he has 106 Ks and just 18 BBs while only surrendering 8 homers and that kind of ability to pound the zone and not get lit up and get lots of strikeouts is unique. A lot of pound the zone guys are contact guys but not Tolle he’s getting the best of both worlds.
He’s a big lefty who’s touched 99 this season so everything about him is pretty unique. Seems like if there was one arm the Red Sox wouldn’t want to move he’d be the one.
- Kendry Rojas
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #6
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
The Blue Jays aren’t known for having a great farm system but they do have a bunch of interesting arms in double A that haven’t quite graced any top 100 prospect lists that I could see getting there in short order.
Of all the interesting arms hanging around in New Hampshire none peaked my interest more than Kendry Rojas who in just 3 double A starts has 23 strikeouts to 2 walks and a .84 WHIP.
The soonest he could in the majors would probably be end of the 2026 season but he’d be worth the wait.
- Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #6
Age: 21
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
The Yankees just got ERC in a rare (but becoming less rare) Yankees-Red Sox trade where they gave up now All Star Carlos Narvaez. Doing a prospect swap and then the guy you gave up becomes an all star is kind of a nightmare for a front office but ERC might be good enough that the Yankees could still end up winning this trade.
He’s got a 2.54 ERA in 280 minor league innings across a bunch of levels. He’s only made 2 starts in double A and they’ve been decent and I imagine his double A numbers will only get better as he gets used to the level.
- Troy Melton
MLB Pipeline: Detroit Tigers #6
Age: 24
Current Level: MLB
Throws: R
Troy Melton started the year in double A pitched well there, got the triple A pitched well there and just got called up to the big leagues to make his debut. Now that debut didn’t go perfectly but that’s hot it goes sometimes. With Jackson Jobe’s injury Melton might have become too important to trade.
According to psStuff+ he has 6 above average pitches which would explain why all his other stats are so good.
- Brandon Sproat
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets #6
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Sproat is a fastball guy whose fastball has been getting hit pretty hard in triple A which doesn’t bode especially well for coming to the majors and he’s also got iffy command. I know what you’re thinking, why isn’t this guy starting for O’s tomorrow?
psStuff+likes his changeup and his curve but he doesn’t throw them much, the Mets aren’t dumb so there could be a reason why but I’d be interested to see what would happen if he leaned on those two pitches much more.
I was listening to a Jason Adams interview where he talked about abandoning the fastball to just throw breaking balls all the time and now he’s an all star so maybe more people should try that.
- Carlos Lagrange
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #2, MLB Top 100 #95
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Guys that can throw a baseball 102 mph do not grow on trees so when you see one you’ve got to pay attention. Lagrange has an arsenal that makes you think he might be a reliever but he’s been starting in the minors for 4 years now although it doesn’t seem like he gets deep into games hardly ever.
This season is the first year he’s gone over 50 innings pitched and it’s going quite well. He’s got 113 Ks in just 77 innings which is in a word very impressive. Out of everyone in the Yankees system he might be the one they want to protect the very most so don’t expect him to get thrown into just any deal.
- Hayden Birdsong
Not a Prospect
Age: 23
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
It’s been a rough year in the majors for Birdsong (incredible name btw) and after the Giants showed they were willing to bail on former top prospects like Kyle Harrison do they want to double down and ship out Birdsong for more offense.
They did just demote Birdsong so maybe he’ll get right in the minors and bounce back, that’s not an uncommon story at all for young pitchers. If the O’s did trade for Birdsong they could give him a bunch of starts for the rest of 2025 and let him figure it out in a relatively low stress environment which the Giants can’t exactly afford to do at the moment.
- Henry Baez
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #13
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Baez is not an especially highly regarded prospect and none of his pitches grade out especially high but when I look at his career in the minors all I see is a guy who just keeps getting better. How often does a guy’s numbers get better the further along they progress? Also he’s throwing harder than ever now? I’m impressed.
Baez has a 1.96 ERA in 91 innings with a 1.01 WHIP and batters hitting .191 off him. Whatever he is doing it’s working, I wouldn’t mind Baez being the return for one of the Orioles better rental pieces.
- Jackson Ferris
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers #6, Top 100 #97
Age: 21
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
Ferris was the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year last year and established himself as a top 100 prospect in baseball. This year he’s taken a bit of a step back, ERA elevated, WHIP elevated and he’s given up the same amount of homers in 50 fewer innings.
There could be a host of reasons that I don’t know about because I don’t watch a ton of Tulsa Drillers game but I’m really not that concerned. Ferris is a lefty who sits in the mid nineties and has multiple good offspeed pitches so his ERA could be in the mid 8s and I’d still be intrigued.
I don’t know if the O’s will be trading anything at this deadline that the Dodgers would want in exchange for Ferris.
- Yoniel Curet
MLB Pipeline: Tampa Bay Rays #15
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
This is an unknown Rays prospect that is going to be blowing people away in a couple years and people will say “They did it again!” Curet just made it to double A so he’s probably a ways away but I feel almost certain this name is going to haunt me.
- Khal Stephen
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #5
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
The Blue Jays second round pick in last year’s draft is tearing it up in double A this year and if he keeps it up will likely give himself a chance to get to triple A before the end of the year and be starting in the big leagues in 2026.
The Blue Jays have a very veteran rotation that will mostly be aging out and moving on in free agency so maybe they’ll be guarding their pitching prospects at this deadline but with Stephen being the less regarded prospect of the Jays last draft maybe he’s the one they could be convinced to flip.
- Jackson Jobe
Not a Prospect
Age: 22
Current Level: MLB (IL)
Throws: R
It is probably silly to include Jackson Jobe but he’s going to miss the rest of season and most if not all of next season which is the entirety of the time that Tigers have Tarik Skubal under contract. If the Tigers aren’t certain they can retain Skubal then it would make sense to go all in on these next two seasons and use a valuable asset that just won’t be helping them win during that window.
There’s probably better ways to go all in that doesn’t hurt your future the way trading Jobe would, still I think it should be on the table at least a little. Maybe it’s on the table but it’s so close the edge that if anyone looks at it weird the Tigers can whip it off the table so fast that you might miss it.
- Jaxon Wiggins
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs #6, Top 100 #92
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Wiggins is a fringe top 100 prospect who is set to continue rising up rankings as he’s dominated AA this year. He’s got multiple plus pitches, he’s K’d 79 batters in just 62 innings this year and batters are hitting .151 against him.
The walks pose a bit of an issue but he’s shown improvement over his 2 years as a pro after being effectively wild in college.
The Cubs are in a pretty serious win now mode with this being their “all in” year with Kyle Tucker and they’re barely holding the Brewers at bay for the division crown. It would be pretty devastating to push in your chips for Tucker and then get bounced in the Wild Card Round by the Padres so it’s possible we could see the Cubs get aggressive and dangle a name like Wiggins out there.
- Brandon Birdsell
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs #9
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Before this season Birdsell had been a consistent arm in the Cubs system rising up the ranks before his latest setback. He’s a strike thrower who leans heavy on the fastball. In 2024 he threw 135 innings and walked only 31 batters (good) but surrendered 143 hits (not great).
He’s got a pretty high floor as a back of the rotation starter
- Ricky Tiedemann
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #3
Age: 22
Current Level: AAA (IL)
Throws: L
Tiedemann feels like a name I’ve been hearing forever. He throws hard from the left side and when he’s been healthy he strikes tons of guys out. “When healthy” is the key part of that sentence. Since being drafted in 2021 he’s pitched 78 innings in 2022, 44 innings in 23 and 17 innings in 2024 before getting Tommy John and missing all of 2025.
He got Tommy John in July of 2024 so he should be mostly rehabbed to start the 2026 season. If there’s no injury setback could he be starting in the Majors in 2026? He hasn’t pitched hardly at all in triple A but good pitching prospects do most of the proving themselves at double A so I wouldn’t be too worried about it.
Blue Jays fans would probably be disappointed if after all the excitement and all the waiting they ended up trading Tiedemann before he ever gets to play for them but they’ve been waiting for a few years not to be competing for the division and the AL may not be this weak again so this could be a golden opportunity for them to go for it so perhaps they’ll be properly motivated to move on. It’s also a chance to sell before he has a chance to get hurt again and wreck what remains of his value.
- Carson Whisenhunt
MLB Pipeline: SF Giants #3
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
What an interesting character this guy is. Dominant in college, suspended for PEDs, has a dominant changeup that the models hate (which is fine outliers exist) and he’s repeating triple A after really struggling last year and he’s doing a little better but getting way fewer strikeouts even though the chase numbers are still quite good.
What am I supposed to do with this information?
I do think he’d be a fun guy to trade for and if he doesn’t work out as a starter his 3 pitch mix from the left side should play well out of the bullpen.
- Connelly Early
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox #6
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
Early probably throws a bit too hard to be called a soft tossing lefty but he’s very much in that vein of prospect where his stuff works from the left side but he probably won’t ever be able to completely overpower hitters. The Red Sox have a lot of good left handed pitching prospects so their grip on Early might be loose if they get hungry to contend this season.
- Jean Cabrera
MLB Pipeline: Philadelphia Phillies #10
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
The Phillies have been building Cabrera up for a few years and after this season where he is likely going to throw 130+ innings he should be ready for a full starters workload. He’s a strike thrower and his best pitch is his changeup. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but a lot of the best pitchers in the league are changeup guys.
Cabrera is pretty underrated by most prospect ranking services and getting him for a rental bat or arm would be a good deal for the O’s. He’d slide in as the Orioles best pitching prospect assuming people ever catch on that Chayce McDermott is cooked.
- Kyle Harrison
Not a prospect
Age: 23
Current Level: AAA/MLB
Throws: L
Processwise I don’t know if I could sign off on trading Devers for Harrison and then flipping Harrison for a rental piece like O’Hearn from the Orioles but one thing about Craig Breslow is that you can’t predict his next move. (and I guess the big part of the Devers trade was just freeing up the money and the playing time more than getting Kyle Harrison back)
Harrison was once a pretty touted prospect coming into the league around the same time as Grayson Rodriguez. Clearly some of the shine has come off him since or he’d still be playing in San Francisco.
The Giants gave him a good amount of major league runway but the problem was he just wasn’t fooling anybody. He was throwing his fastball a TON and that pitch just isn’t quite good enough for him to be throwing it 65% of the time.
Anytime a player works their way up to being the best left handed pitching prospect in baseball that means there is going to be tantalizing potential but it just hasn’t worked out so far.
- Trey Yesavage
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #2, Top 100 #51
Age: 21
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
The Blue Jays aren’t likely to move their first round pick from last year whose already quickly rising up prospect rankings and Yesavage is probably a couple years away from making the big leagues so he’s not the best target for the O’s at the moment but the talent is undeniable and the Blue Jays give you the choice between Yesavage (Who’s name passes the name test easily) and one of their lower ceiling triple A arms you’re better off snapping up Yesavage.
They’re not going to offer him though so there’s not much point in thinking about it.
- Chase Hampton
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #10
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Hampton had Tommy John Surgery back in February so he won’t be pitching again until mid 2026 and likely won’t make it to the pros until 2027 so this would be a long term play. Hampton is similar to Tiedermann in the sense that he was highly anticipated by Yankees fans but injuries have made it so a lot of arms might very well pass him in priority and importance for the org.
If the Yankees are focused on competing during the next few seasons of Aaron Judge’s prime then Hampton won’t be able to help them so he could be very available for the right price at this deadline.
- Jake Bloss
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #11
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
The Blue Jays should invent a top pitching prospect that isn’t injured. Bloss will miss the rest of this season and good chunk of 2026 so he’s not a perfect fit for what the O’s need but he’d be a talented arm to potentially be able to unleash in the second half of the 2026 season so I wouldn’t hang up the phone if I were Mike Elias and the Blue Jays floated trading away Bloss.
The results haven’t been great since being traded to Toronto but psStuff+ says 4 of his 5 pitches are well above average and that was pitching through some injury so lots of potential there.
- Hayden Mullins
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox #18
Age: 24
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
The Red Sox are the 10th team I’ve added to this list so when I saw their third ranked left handed starter in triple A I almost left him off the list but then I checked him out and not only does he have a sick leg kick but he’s also balling out with a 2.45 ERA in 10 double A starts. I expect he’ll keep climbing up the Red Sox top prospects list and be a decently well known name this time next year.
- Kohl Drake
MLB Pipeline: Texas Rangers #5
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
Drake looked like one of the best starters in double A through 14 starts before getting called up to triple A. It’s a small sample size so I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions yet but he has struggled in Triple A with batters hitting almost .300 off him in his first three appearances.
The stuff looks good though so I imagine a small tweak and he’ll be back to his usual sub 3 ERA self.
As a lefty who can throw mid nineties there’s a strong chance he will make the big leagues and the question is simply will he be a good starter or a spot starter.
- Brody Hopkins
MLB Pipeline: Tampa Bay Rays #3
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Last season Hopkins walked a tight line of getting good results while walking a lot of batters and he’s doing the exact same thing in 2025. That can mean a couple things. It could mean that’s just how rolls and he’ll always walk a lot of batters but be able to manage it or it could mean that he really won’t be able to get this under control any time soon and that same style won’t work at higher levels. I would trust the Rays to figure it out, I’m not sure I’d trust the O’s to do the same.
- Ryan Bergert
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #9
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
The Padres are real potential trade partners because what their needs in the outfield lineup with what the Orioles will be selling at this deadline whether that is Mullins or Laureano or they want to take a flier on Kjerstad. The thing is that the Padres don’t have a lot of pitching prospects that are both good and close to the majors so if the Orioles trade with them I’d probably rather get some of their pitching prospects that are in A ball which goes against the whole point of this preview which is supposed to be about what pitchers could the Orioles get to help next year.
All this to say that Ryan Bergert could pitch in the major leagues this season and is maybe preferable to Brandon Young but overall it’s a bit uninspiring.
- Jake Miller
MLB Pipeline: Detroit Tigers #15
Age: 24
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
Miller was mostly a reliever in 2024 but the Tigers have him starting in 2025 and even though it’s early it’s going pretty well. Probably too small a sample size to draw any large conclusions but I’m intrigued.
- Adam Macko
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #20
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
Nothing like a poorly timed knee surgery to mess up what should have been your first full season at triple A. With Macko’s struggles this year it is possible that some of the Blue Jays younger prospects could pass him in priority for the Jays so he could be very available this deadline.
There is definite upside as he’s a lefty that can get into the mid nineties and before this season he could be relied on to have more strikeouts than innings with a decent K/BB ratio although that hasn’t been the case in 2025. The question is, is the version of him we’re seeing this year because of the surgery or because triple A is just harder than double A and it’s not like he was lights out at double A in 2024 anyway.
- Carson Seymour
MLB Pipeline: San Francisco #23
Age: 26
Current Level: MLB
Throws: R
The Giants just recently called Seymour up and have exclusively used him out of the bullpen so far. That isn’t terribly surprising considering the Giants have a very veteran rotation. Seymour has pitched over 100 innings in 3 straight seasons leading into this year so he should be able to handle a full starters workload.
If the Giants decide that he’s not part of the future of their rotation then they might be better off flipping him for someone that can help them with the playoff push.
- Peter Heubeck
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers #23
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Balmer’s own! James Wood is a star and Jackson Merrill is a star so the trend is quite clear get a Baltimore guy in the building and he’ll do the rest.
Joking aside Heubeck has been grinding through the minors, the Dodgers appear to have been very deliberate in managing his innings, he made 20+ starts in 2023 and 2024 but didn’t clear 100 innings in either season. He’s got a good fastball that he pairs with multiple solid offspeed pitches. One of them is a curveball and curveballs are fun.
He’ll be rule 5 eligible this offseason so maybe the Dodgers will want to do a prospect for prospect swap to avoid a 40 man crunch.
- Patrick Copen
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers #18
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
This might be a well known story for everyone but me but Patrick Copen got hit in the face last year by a line drive and lost vision in his right eye, which for a right handed pitcher is a big deal because that’s usually your dominant eye that you use for aiming which is a big deal for pitchers.
Copen has been undeterred by the injury and came out strong this year and just got promoted to double A where he’s been quite good in 8 starts. As far as his stuff goes he’s a fastball – slider guy and both of those are good pitches but he’s always struggled to throw strikes so there is some possible reliever risk.
Copen is a bit further away from the majors than most people on this list and maybe less likely to be a starter but I’m impressed from a character perspective and one eyed pitcher has a lot of potential for becoming a big time fan favorite.
- Mitch Bratt
MLB Pipeline: Texas Rangers #9
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
There is a lot to like about what Mitch Bratt has done in double A this season, here’s my favorite and maybe you’re tired of me talking about minor league walks to strikeouts but here’s a ratio to remember 104 Ks and just 14 BBs. I love young lefties with good command.
The issue is that he might be living too much in the zone as hitter are hitting .262 off him which is well above average. If he can find the happy medium he’ll become even more effective.
- Brett Wichrowski
MLB Pipeline: Milwaukee Brewers #25
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Classic Brewers move to draft someone in the 13th round and 2 years later they’ve got a 2.40 ERA in double A. Wichrowski has made a lot of progress with the Brewers, the reason he was drafted in the 13th round was because of his poor command but this season at least it has not been a problem.
- DL Hall
Not a Prospect
Age: 26
Current Level: MLB
Throws: L
Not a prospect but after all this time he only has 1 year of service time so bring him home.
- Blade Tidwell
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets #10
Age: 24
Current Level: MLB/AAA
Throws: R
I love when Blade Tidwell starts a game for the Mets because when he does his post game interview people always post clips asking “Why does he look like that?”
Tidwell has a wide mix of pitches reminiscent of Tomoyuki Sugano, he’s really struggled in his last few Major League outings also reminiscent of Tomoyuki Sugano.
As far as where he’d fit in the O’s system I think he’s very similar to Chayce Mcdermott or Brandon Young, I’d be interested to see what a team could do if they honed down his arsenal.
- Jack Wenninger
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets #14
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
2.96 ERA in 18 double A starts, 109 Ks in 91 innings and a 1.07 WHIP??? I am nooticing.
- David Sandlin
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox #12
Age: 24
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Sandlin got roughed up last year in double A but his second go around is going much better. He can touch triple digits so that will peak anyone’s interest and if doesn’t work out as a starter then he can comfortably slide into the bullpen and likely be very effective.
- Brock Selvidge
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #13
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
Selvidge is a high floor lefty who was decent in double A last year and after rehabbing his way back this year looks even more comfortable. He’s had a bit of a walks issue this year so that is something to keep an eye on but it’s almost been so bad that it feels like he has no choice but to improve in that department.
- KC Hunt
MLB Pipeline: Milwaukee Brewers #26
Age: 25
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Hunt has been slowly making his way through the minors since being drafted out of college in 2022. His struggles this year haven’t helped his cause and as I’ve mentioned several times there’s a lot of good pitchers in the Brewers system in his way.
He’ll be rule 5 eligible this offseason and it doesn’t look like the Brewers will be clearing space for on the 40 man so maybe the Brewers choose to get what they can for him before risking him being whisked away for nothing.
- Juaron Watts-Brown
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #10
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Another very solid Toronto double-A arm. Out of all the other double A pitching prospects Watts-Brown does have the most obvious weakness with his command but when he’s right you’re looking at a 10 K/9 starter which the Orioles don’t have a ton of.
- Trevor McDonald
MLB Pipeline: SF Giants #14
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Who wouldn’t want to trade for those piercing blue eyes. I mean…
Anyway, McDonald is working on year 6 in the minors so it’s been a long journey with lots of delays due to injuries. He reached Triple A last year and struggled and struggled some more this year so it may be that his path to the big leagues is in a reliever role rather than as a starter.
He’s got an interesting arm angle and psStuff+ likes some of his offspeed pitches that he barely throws so maybe he’s a couple tweaks away from unlocking something, maybe not though IDK.
- AJ Blubaugh
MLB Pipeline: Houston Astros #12
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Blubaugh has pitched over 200 minor league innings so he’s done everything you could ask him to do to get called up except pitch very well. The Astros were hopeful that he could become a back of the rotation starter but it looks more likely he’ll be more of a bulk inning reliever, maybe someone who can be deployed as an opener.
Maybe a change of scenery and some tips from a different pitching coach would do him some good.
- Braden Nett
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #3
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Nett is a bit of an injury risk and has not been built up anywhere near a full starters workload so he might not be the best addition to this list but he throws hard and he’s gotten good results across 4 seasons in the minors so color me intrigued.
Walks are a bit of an issue though so color me a little less intrigued.
- Winston Santos
MLB Pipeline: Texas Ranger #4
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Santos was a name to watch within the Rangers system but after just 2 starts in double A this year he suffered a not minor back injury that has kept him out since. If things had gone to plan he probably follows Kohl Drake’s path a make some starts in double A and then move to Triple A mid way through the year and then be competitive for a roster spot in 2026.
We’ll have to see how much the back injury sets Santos back but he’s a guy with a hard fastball and a legit slider and good command which is a nice trio of attributes to be working with.
- Bobby Miller
Not a prospect
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA/MLB
Throws: R
Things have gone horribly wrong for Bobby Miller who just a short time ago seemed like the heir apparent to Walker Buehler as the Dodgers next young stud pitcher alongside Dustin May. I wonder how all the guys from that sentence are doing now?
Miller could make an interesting and cheap reclamation project if the O’s wanted to take his arm for a spin.
- Ryan Gallagher
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs #8
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Gallagher was a 6th round pick in last year’s draft but he’s rising pretty quickly through the system. He just made his first start in double A and it was a beaut. He’s probably a bit too far away for this exercise but I watched some video and I’m intrigued.
- Trystan Vreiling
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees #24
Age: 24
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Vreiling was a reliever in college but he pitched 147 innings in his first year in the minors in 2024 which is quite impressive. Unfortunately for Vreiling the innings is the most impressive part of the statline as he doesn’t strike a ton of guys out and he’s not a command guy either.
So lots of work to do before this guy is an MLB starter, not who I would be targeting at this deadline but I’m not the one in charge am I.
- Will Sanders
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs #21
Age: 23
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
As you can see from the savant page the numbers are not a huge fan of Will Sanders. He doesn’t miss a ton of bats and he walks people but he has been good across two minor league levels this year. He pitched to a 2.64 ERA in AA and he’s been solid since being promoted to AAA.
More important than the ERA is the K/BB numbers.
44 strikeouts to 8 walks in double A this year – that’ll play.
36 strikeouts to 16 walks in triple A – that’s not going to cut it.
If he can cut down on the walks there could be a viable MLB starter here, as far as what the Orioles would trade for him I think Sanders could be a prospect for prospect swap similar to the Billy Cook deal the Orioles did last year.
- Moises Chace
MLB Pipeline: Philadelphia Phillies #8
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Could the Orioles get an old friend back in the building? Chace just got Tommy John so he doesn’t help with the Orioles immediate problems but if the Phillies feel like they can’t wait for Chace to rehab then maybe the O’s could sneak in and get him back. He looked like a real guy after the Orioles traded him last year.
- Luis Perales
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox #9
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Perales got Tommy John last summer so he should be getting back healthy around the start of the 2026 season. If he picks up where he left off before the injury he could be starting by 2027 but if there’s any setback you’re probably looking at a longer turnaround.
- Robinson Pina
MLB Pipeline: Toronto UR
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
It’s been a long road for Robinson Pina to get to where he is today, but after 671 minor league innings Pina is pitching well in triple A. He’s been a starter for most of those minor league innings but he’s appeared in the big leagues for the Marlins and Blue Jays this season out of the bullpen. It’s possible the bullpen is ultimately his home but he’s at least shown in his career in the minors that he can go over 100 innings in a season.
- Jared Karros
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers UR
Age: 24
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Karros is going through a bit of a rough patch in double A this year so his stock is down but for a 16th round pick he pitched really well across a couple level in 2024. Struggles aside he’s 6’7 and has a unique delivery which is something that smart teams like the Rays tend to look for.
What if we looked for that kind of thing too?
- Brody McCullough
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs #24
Age: 25
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
McCullough has pitched well when he hasn’t been injured, unfortunately he’s almost always injured. Including right now as he had season ending surgery in June. Interestingly enough this makes him a very likely target for Mike Elias as he targeted injured starters in the Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott trades.
See you soon Brody.
- Duncan Davitt
MLB Pipeline: Tampa Bay Rays UR
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Davitt has been super consistent as he’s made his way up through the Rays farms system which I think bodes well for him become a big leaguer. As a right hander who only throws in teh low nineties his ceiling is probably a little low but psStuff+ really likes his curveball which is his second most thrown pitch.
- Jagger Haynes
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #23
Age: 22
Current Level: AA
Throws: L
What a name. Haynes will be available in the rule 5 draft and doesn’t look particularly close to cracking the big leagues so I don’t think he’s a very appealing trade target but maybe the O’s see something in this soft tossing lefty.
- Joe Rock
MLB Pipeline: Tampa Bay Rays #25
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
Joe Rock is the kind of funky lefty where if he’s with the Rays you know he’s going to come in and light you up and if he were on your team you know he’d come in and get lit up.
- Victor Lizarraga
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #24
Age: 21
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
A few months ago I had Lizarraga as my pitching prospect to watch from the Padres and if you’ve been watching you’d know Victor has not been having a great time in double A this year. 56 Ks to 36 BBs and a 1.73 WHIP. Yeesh.
- Jackson Baumeister
MLB Pipeline: Tampa Bay Rays #12
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Old friends alert! There’s probably not a lot of interest in a reunion.
- Lazaro Estrada
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays #27
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
A 26 year old having a disappointing season in triple A isn’t the most sparking trade target but about this time last year Estrada was in A ball so he could just be struggling to adjust to the level.
I’d consider him a decent throw in candidate if the O’s have to include any of their own minor league pitchers in a different deal.
- Connor Noland
MLB Pipeline: Chicago Cubs UR
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Noland has gotten decent results over the past few seasons despite not having overwhelming stuff. When you’re looking at his path to being a major league starter it’s a little tricky because his command isn’t quite good enough right now to make up for being a soft tossing righty.
I’d put Noland squarely in the “maybe if they see something in him they can try to get him as a throw in” tier.
- Nick Frasso
MLB Pipeline: LA Dodgers #28
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Injuries have derailed Frasso after he looked really good in 2022 and 2023 and now the Dodgers are using him out of the bullpen but if Frasso was in an org more desperate for starting pitching he could probably stretched out again, it’s not like he’s gone so far down the reliever path he can’t come back.
He’s not going to save your rotation but I doubt the Dodgers are clinging onto him tightly so I imagine you could get him thrown in a deal if you were so inclined.
- Mason Black
MLB Pipeline: SF Giants #14
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
The Giants gave Black a shot in 2024 and there were mixed results. The mix was mostly not great.
He’s developed a bit of a walks problem in triple A and his velo isn’t great for a right hander but he throws from a unique angle which is always worth giving a shot. Deception is kind of the final frontier of getting an edge when it comes to pitchers.
- Justin Wrobleski
Not a prospect
Age: 25
Current Level: MLB
Throws: L
The Dodgers seem to specialize in having mid twenties starting pitchers on their roster that they’d rather not give playing time to but have to because for some reason their starting pitchers can’t stay healthy.
I wouldn’t call the Dodgers up and ask about Justin Wrobleski but if I was working out a trade with the Dodgers and they offered to throw him in the deal to grease the wheels I wouldn’t be opposed to taking him on.
- Jordan Wicks
Not a prospect
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA/MLB
Throws: L
Wicks is not a prospect anymore but he is an interesting case. A former first rounder, he’s pitched in the majors in 3 consecutive years and not really caught on. Could be an interesting change of scenery candidate.
If the O’s get their hands on him and there’s really nothing there, maybe he’s a low leverage lefty bullpen arm with some options.
- Omar Cruz
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres #21
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
A soft tossing lefty with good command?? The Orioles should trade for Cruz just to make sure they never have to face him. Cruz is also from Sonora Mexico same as Ramon Urias so that’s fun.
- Brendan Beck
MLB Pipeline: New York Yankees UR
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
A former second round pick with a career sub 3 ERA. Why doesn’t anybody care about this guy?
- Jose Fleury
MLB Pipeline: Houston Astros #16
Age: 23
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Fleury was having a really good year in double A and then got sent to triple A and has not fared so well suffering more earned runs than batters struck out. It’s only 3 starts and he’s 23 so there’s time time to course correct but the underlying numbers don’t like his chances.
- Joander Suarez
MLB Pipeline: New York Mets UR
Age: 25
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
Check out all the red on that savant page! It’s mostly due to a very small sample of triple A performance that actually went quite poorly before he returned to double A.
Bad Triple A ERA aside Suarez clearly has somethings going for him but chase rates that low combined with whiff rates that low is not a recipe for sustained success. Suarez would likely have to be a second arm or a PTBNL for him to be relevant on the trade market.
- Landon Knack
Not a prospect
Age: 28
Current Level: MLB
Throws: R
Knack isn’t a prospect anymore and he’s 28 so this might be wasted ink even including him but he pitched alright for the Dodgers in 2024 and he’s struggling now. In a perfect world for the Dodgers (assuming we’re not already living in it) he’s probably not on the major league roster so if the Dodgers are trading for someone from the O’s bullpen and the O’s ask for Landon Knack thrown in the deal I bet they’d do it.
- Carson Ragsdale
MLB Pipeline: SF Giants #25
Age: 27
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
How many Carsons is one team allowed to roster?
Ragsdale is probably a reliever in the pros but nobody has made him go out to the bullpen yet so we won’t exclude him. (Do not look at his hard hit %)
- Anders Tolhurst
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays UR
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Am I interested in trading for a 23rd round draft pick with a 5 ERA in triple A? No.
But am I rooting for him? Sure.
- Josh Stephan
MLB Pipeline: Texas Rangers #30
Age: 23
Current Level: AA
Throws: R
I do feel for guys who should have been drafted in the later rounds of the 2020 draft who then have to go around with the undrafted label on them. Stephan has a fun and deceptive delivery that could be better out of the bullpen but has not shown great results in double A as a starter.
- CJ Van Eyk
MLB Pipeline: Toronto Blue Jays UR
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
Van Eyk hasn’t been particularly good at any minor league level but he’s kept moving on up so maybe he’ll get called up to the big leagues in that same way.
- Issac Coffey
MLB Pipeline: Boston Red Sox UR
Age: 25
Current Level: AAA
Throws: R
6+ ERA in triple A at 25 years old? Get ready to learn bullpen buddy.
- Jackson Wolf
MLB Pipeline: San Diego Padres UR
Age: 26
Current Level: AAA
Throws: L
I probably shouldn’t include someone who has been DFA’d but Jackson Wolf is a cool name and he does some stuff well on the mound. He’s decent at avoiding hard contact and over his career he’s usually averaged more than a strikeout per inning. Could be an interesting throw in.
- Trey Dombrowski
MLB Pipeline: Houston Astros UR
Age: 24
Current Level: AAA/AA
Throws: L
With how many pitchers there are in the minor leagues I didn’t know it was possible for a minor league savant page to look like this. YIKES.
The Dishwasher 
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