The MLB trade deadline is just over seven weeks away, and as we get closer to the halfway point of the season, teams’ strengths and weaknesses are starting to become apparent. While we know that the White Sox, Marlins, Mets and A’s will be sellers this year, the market of buyers could be robust, especially with the National League looking weak overall and the American League having lots of firepower near the top.
Here are five teams that need to make a move at the deadline.
Baltimore Orioles
There might not be a team that should “go for it” more than the Baltimore Orioles. Two years ago, the O’s showed that their rebuild was over, as with the arrival of catcher Adley Rutschman, they looked like a team that was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Last season, the O’s took an even bigger step forward, asserting themselves as the best team in the American League. They won 101 games and were in great position to add at the deadline, but despite their involvement in some rumors, no big splash ever materialized. Then they were swept by the eventual World Series champion Rangers.
This year, the Orioles are back in prime position. They sit 2.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and have an MVP candidate in shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who has been one of the best players in the game. Baltimore’s starting pitching has also risen to the occasion, with new ace Corbin Burnes fitting right in and right-hander Kyle Bradish looking masterful in his return from a UCL sprain.
