Is Baltimore Really a Contender for the MLB Wild Card?
Exploring the Baltimore Orioles' bid as a Major League Baseball wild card, assessing reasons to delay major trades or signings. Do they just stand pat?
Video Transcript
Are we buying Baltimore as a legit contender to make a run at a wild card here?
I'm not.
I think Baltimore's a team that just stays put.
And if they have any moves, they're gonna be minor moves, but they're not going to be consequential.
They're not going to be massive sellers because their players have underperformed and/or the players that they would theoretically sell, they have locked up long term and/or are considered cornerstones of the franchise.
They're not gonna trade Peor Lonzo or Gunnar Henderson.
You know, Adley Rutschman's name has been out there.
But they're also not in position to be buyers because they're so mediocre this year that they're, they can't be leapfrogging teams.
And again, so I say a lot about, I say a lot about a lot of teams this year, one or two moves doesn't fix the Orioles.
You need like four, five, six, seven moves that will, that can actually put them in a spot to compete, and that doesn't happen at the trade deadline.
That happens in the off-season.
Listen, all eyes are gonna be for Detroit on Skubal, right?
So this is a I mean, those were tough losses over the weekend to Kansas City, man.
I mean, they really were.
Because if they win those and get-- I mean, they had a three-game winning streak rolling, and then they lose a couple of one-runners that, to a team they should not be losing to.
So the question becomes, all of a sudden these games are pretty important.
Is Skubal wearing a Detroit uniform here?
That's the big question, because what happens if he is traded?
The, I mean this, just stick a fork in the season.
They're basically punting, right?
Mm-hmm.
That's what it comes down to.
He- he'll have his last start, I believe it's gonna be on Wednesday, for the Tigers.
And, you know, it's not just about his one start.
He doesn't need to go out there and have 15 strikeouts in order for him to be a trade candidate.
It's just about, about them winning games this week.
That's all it comes down to.
Them winning games and picking up games in the wild card.
And obviously they can't control the other teams that lose.
They have to go and take care of their own business.
Losing two games to Kansas City really put them behind the eight ball.
But Skubal not being traded and them, and then them not making the playoffs would be a disaster
