The Orioles have waded into seller’s waters with their deals of relievers Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto but have yet to dive into a true fire sale ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
With two and a half days remaining before the 6 p.m. cutoff for contending teams to reinforce their rosters in hopes of a deep playoff run, the Orioles’ farm system could look a lot different by the end of the week depending on how many players they’re willing to trade.
Though many teams are likely to be interested in Orioles players such as Ryan O’Hearn, Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin, Cedric Mullins and Seranthony Domínguez, not all trade partners are created equal. Some contenders have much deeper farm systems than others; the No. 11 overall prospect in one system might be No. 24 in another organization.
Here’s a look at three of the best farm systems among contenders that the Orioles could pluck talent from at the deadline.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Owners of arguably the deepest system in the majors, the Brewers are jostling with the Chicago Cubs for the best record in the National League and in position to add any of the top trade candidates on the market. That includes O’Hearn, who could be a fit for Milwaukee to hold down first base until the injured Rhys Hoskins gets back and platoon at the position when he does.
The Brewers’ top five prospects are all included in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list and that doesn’t even include right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who’s already burst onto the scene six starts into his big league career. The Orioles could feast on this system if the two sides line up on a deal, with No. 14 prospect Josh Adamczewski (second base) and No. 18 Craig Yoho (right-handed reliever) standing out as potential fits for their organization.
Adamczewski, 20, was selected in the 15th round of the 2023 draft but has crushed Low-A pitching with a .991 OPS and solid 20.5% strikeout rate. The Brewers are flush enough on infielders to justify parting ways with him and his bat-first profile carries upside the Orioles could dream on. Yoho, 25, is ranked lower because he lacks elite velocity but he might have the nastiest changeup in the minors and the Orioles could add him to their bullpen right away.
The Orioles and Brewers similarly minded front offices have lined up on several trades the past few years, most notably the Corbin Burnes deal in 2024.
2. Seattle Mariners
Even after trading two of their top 30 prospects for first baseman Josh Naylor, the Mariners have a lot to offer in other moves that could bolster their standing in a tight wild-card race. They need bullpen help to bridge the late innings to closer Andrés Muñoz and Domínguez would be a fit as a high-leverage arm who’s settled in with a 1.14 ERA over his past 23 games.
Seattle has an MLB-high eight players featured in both Baseball America and Pipeline’s top 100 rankings. Though none of them would be attainable in a deal for a player on an expiring contract such as Domínguez, Pipeline No. 19 prospect Marcelo Pérez (right-handed starter) and No. 20 Juan Burgos (right-handed reliever) are reasonable targets.
Perez, 25, has a 2.53 ERA and 0.98 WHIP between High-A and Double-A this season. The 2022 11th-round pick doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters but he has great command and an interesting pitch mix that includes two different sliders. Burgos, 25, is already on the Mariners’ 40-man roster and he briefly reached the majors earlier this season; the Dominican native has spent most of the year in Double-A where he posted a 0.64 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 9.3 K/9.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox might be in the American League East but that could give the Orioles leverage to levy division rival tax on any deal. Boston, which currently holds the second wild-card spot, could use an upgrade at first base particularly against right-handed pitching and O’Hearn fits perfectly into a platoon with utility man Romy González. The club also has needs in the rotation because of injuries and either Eflin or Morton could be in play.
While their “Big Three” prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell have all graduated to the majors, the Red Sox still have a potent farm system that includes three top 100 players on Pipeline’s list and five (sans Mayer) on BA. Pipeline No. 13 prospect Miguel Bleis (outfielder) and No. 17 Blaze Jordan (corner infielder) would represent promising returns.
Bleis, 21, is a tooled up international signee who can play all three outfield positions, run wild on the base paths and pop more than a few home runs over the fence. He hasn’t taken off in High-A so far, slashing .226/.313/.416, but is still young for the level. Jordan, 22, has gotten his career back on track after struggling the past two seasons at Double-A and has an .808 OPS with six homers in 42 games since being promoted to Triple-A.
The Red Sox must add Jordan to their 40-man roster this offseason or risk exposing him to the Rule 5 draft and he could make sense for Baltimore as a depth option at positions in first and third that are otherwise thin beyond its major league roster.
(Editor’s note: Each week, The Baltimore Sun will break down three of the top performers in the Orioles’ prospect ranks and hand out superlatives for those who didn’t make the cut.)
1. Triple-A Norfolk catcher Samuel Basallo
He only appeared in two games last week, but Basallo still takes the top spot after going 5-for-5 with two doubles and a home run Friday before reaching base two more times Sunday. The Orioles’ top catching prospect continues to make a strong case at the plate for an MLB call-up and his time could soon be approaching with the deadline coming to a head.
2. Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Dylan Beavers
Nothing new to see here with Beavers, who went 5-for-19 (.263) with two homers, two doubles, a stolen base and nine walks to just three strikeouts last week. Beavers’ .414 on-base percentage ranks fourth among qualified hitters in the International League this season and he has at least 50 more plate appearances than all three of the players in front of him.
3. Double-A right-hander Trey Gibson
Named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award winner, Gibson tossed seven shutout innings against the Altoona Curve on Friday with two hits, zero walks and eight strikeouts on 83 pitches (58 strikes). Gibson has a 1.96 ERA in eight starts since being promoted to Double-A and done well to limit hard contact, allowing just one home run over that span.
Top prospect not featured so far
Low-A Delmarva outfielder Nate George continues to reach base at an impressive clip, going 7-for-20 (.350) with two walks and four strikeouts last week. The 19-year-old stole two more bases to raise his total with the Shorebirds to 21, one short of the team lead despite playing only 33 games at the level so far this season.
International acquisition of the week
Aron Estrada, 20, is making a push to finish out the year in Double-A after going 6-for-15 (.400) last week to raise his season slash line in High-A Aberdeen to .284/.369/.429. The Venezuelan utility man doesn’t have one standout tool but he can play all over the diamond and his 17.4% strikeout rate bodes well for his ability to make contact at the upper levels.
Time to give a shoutout to …
Left-hander Ryan Cabarcas, who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, was awarded South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week honors for allowing one hit in 5 2/3 innings over two relief outings last week. He made his professional debut this summer and the Orioles have moved him quickly up to High-A, where he has a 3.12 ERA with 11 strikeouts in five appearances.
Short-season snippets
The Orioles promoted right-hander Esteban Mejia from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Delmarva over the week, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Mejia has been thrust into the spotlight after Baseball America named the 18-year-old a top 100 prospect for his loud arsenal. After posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 starts in rookie ball, he’ll get a chance to face more experienced competition down the stretch.
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.
