Baltimore Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias has made his intentions clear ahead of the upcoming Major League Baseball trade deadline: the Orioles are firmly in the market as buyers.
Orioles broadcaster Ben Wagner joined 105.7 The Fan’s Big Bad Morning Show to break down the front office’s aggressive stance. Despite dropping two out of three games to the Washington Nationals over the weekend, Baltimore remains just three games back in the American League wild-card race.
"Where the Orioles are and where the standings are, they have to be all in," Wagner said. "The mediocrity, honestly, of the entire American League has allowed them to be in this position."
Roster health will dictate immediate success. All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and outfielder Dylan Beavers returned to the lineup Sunday. Rutschman's immediate return behind the plate signals he is fully cleared without restrictions, a critical boost for a team searching for defensive stability and longer plate appearances.
"Run prevention has kind of reared its ugly head," Wagner noted, citing defensive miscues in left field during Sunday's loss.
The road ahead offers a prime opportunity to gain ground. Baltimore opens a home series against the surprising, division-leading Chicago White Sox before facing a stretch of vulnerable opponents including the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Kansas City Royals before the All-Star break.
Jeremy Conn emphasized that moral victories are over, stating the Orioles must move past their peak three-game winning streak and begin "stacking series wins."
Wagner agreed, noting the pre-All-Star break schedule represents a "huge pocket" for the club to alter its trajectory. "You’ve got to start winning like 12 out of 18," Wagner said.
