Orioles prime trade target is All-Star pitcher from Mariners originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After falling short of the postseason, the Baltimore Orioles may be looking to add a few more starting pitchers this offseason.
First baseman Pete Alonso was Baltimore's undisputed star, but one man can only do so much.
Chris Bassitt and Trevor Rogers will both soon hit unrestricted free agency, and the Orioles are likely to decline Zach Eflin's mutual option for 2027 and pay him a buyout.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller believes Baltimore's most likely offseason trade is to add a starter to the rotation.
"Before too much longer, Baltimore could have quite the starting rotation, led by current Double-A prospects Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa and Caden Hunter. But the tentative plan for the 2027 rotation leaves much to be desired, needing a stopgap solution until those young'uns are ready for the show," Miller wrote.
He identified All-Star right-hander Logan Gilbert from the Seattle Mariners as the O's prime trade target, but included a few more possibilities.
"Maybe it's Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantara instead of Logan Gilbert, but targeting an ace-caliber arm that is one year away from free agency should be the goal here," Miller added.
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With a 3.73 ERA and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, Gilbert had another solid year after finishing sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2024.
He's good enough to carry the rotation for long stretches of time and had strong postseason results in last year's ALDS.
Gilbert may not be at the level of ace Corbin Burnes was when the Orioles acquired the Cy Young winner two years ago, but he's more than capable of being a frontline starter.
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