These Players Will Take the Orioles to the NEXT LEVEL

Adley Rutschman Celebrating His Walk-Off Homerun Against the Oakland Athletics

The Baltimore Orioles are off to a flying start this season. At 26-14, The O’s are 2nd in the AL East and are currently in 1st place for the Wild Card. Every year, many teams get off to fast starts, but often fizzle out by June. While the O’s may not be like these other teams, they have failed to make the postseason since 2016, and are looking to finally get back. Thus, in order to help them sustain their success, I have provided 3 potential trades to help the O’s get back to their glory.

Lance Lynn - Chicago White Sox:

On surface-level, Lynn has struggled this year- he is sporting a 7.51 ERA and has a 3.45 BB/9 this season, while also struggling with the longball (2.23 HR/9). However, his advanced stats depict a deeper picture of how his season has gone this year. He has a 3.86 xFIP (Expected Fielding Independent Pitching) this season, which resembles his 3.82 xFIP in his 2021 All-Star season. Lynn also has the best K/9 of his career (10.96).

Lynn would join a rotation in Baltimore that has thus far struggled this season, as only one starter has an ERA under 4. With a stronger defense behind him, Lynn may be able to find success in Baltimore reflective of his xFIP and high K/9 rate. Lynn would also not cost too much for the Orioles, as he is on an expiring deal with a club option and is 36 years old.

Matt Duffy - Kansas City Royals:

Duffy has posted a .817 OPS (On Base % + Slugging %) and 125 WRC+ (Weighted Runs Created) this season, which are the best in his career. Though Duffy has not been stellar defensively with a -1 OAA (Outs Above Average), he would provide a middle-infield bat that the O’s are desperately seeking.

With Ramón Urías projected to miss 2-3 more weeks with his injury, and his large injury history in his short career, Duffy would provide a depth/starting bat at 2B, 3B, and occasionally SS. For a team looking to make the postseason, depth is key in the marathon that is the MLB 162 Game season. Duffy would also be relatively cheap to acquire, as he is 31 years old and is only on a one year deal. The Royals are struggling, off to a 12-30 start, and may be looking to sell their vets like Duffy.

Anthony DeSclafani - San Francisco Giants:

DeSclafani has posted together a stellar season thus far, posting his best BB/9 ratio and lowest FIP of his career. Though he is not striking out as many hitters, he has increased his ground ball rate by almost 3% from last year, and has posted his lowest Fly Ball to Home Run ratio of his career at 8.2%.

DeSclafani would be the most expensive option to acquire out of these 3 players, as he still has 3 more years of team control left, and the Giants have shown little inclination to sell their veterans. DeSclafani would also immediately step in as a top starter in their rotation, and would provide stability to the rotation for many years to come.

By making even one of these moves, the Orioles could put themselves in a position to make a postseason push and potentially win their first World Series in 40 years.