The Orioles are open to reuniting with a familiar face, but that will not address their most pressing issue, which is the need for starters under club control. The Baltimore Orioles remain one of the American League’s best teams. However, they have a number of pressing issues to address before the trade deadline. Their primary needs are in their starting rotation. Despite being coached by Corbin Burnes, the team is missing three players this season due to Tommy John surgery: John Means, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells.
They could also try to reconnect with Jack Flaherty. They acquired him in a transaction with the St. Louis Cardinals minutes before the deadline last summer, and according to Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo, they are
open to bringing him back.
However, they made a mistake last year by not including any controllable starters in their lineup, and while Flaherty would provide a major boost this year, he would remain nothing more than a rental.
Orioles’ interest in Jack Flaherty won’t address the biggest problem.
Flaherty struggled in Baltimore last season. In 34.2 innings, his ERA was 6.75. This season, however, he has experienced something of a renaissance with the Detroit Tigers. He has a record of 8-5 and an ERA of 2.95.
One huge worry for the Orioles is that if Burnes leaves in free agency, they will only have two starters that can be regarded definite for their 2025 rotation. The starters are Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer. Means will be a free agent alongside Burnes. As Rosenthal and Woo point out, securing controllable beginning pitching is not easy. A deal for Tarik Skubal is doubtful, since the Tigers’ asking price will be prohibitively expensive. Garrett Crochet, the Chicago White Sox’s left-handed pitcher, will also have a high asking price.
In that case, Flaherty, despite his rental status, may be their best alternative. He may be the best rental starter available, but he will also cost a lot of money. It will undoubtedly be intriguing. Check out how Baltimore approaches the deadline with so few sellers and beginning pitching alternatives at a price. This year’s pitching market is thin, and they will have a difficult time finding what they need.
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