If the Orioles sought to add players — veteran starting pitchers, in particular — it would not be solely for 2022. In theory, they could play on the two top pitchers on the trade market, Reds right-hander Luis Castillo and Athletics righty Frankie Montas, both of whom are under club control through next season. They also could pursue a controllable starter from a team looking to cut salary, someone like Padres left-hander Blake Snell.
“First of all, we’re going to see what the next few weeks bring,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Monday. “Everything can change so dramatically, given how rapidly we’ve come on and the fact that our division is so stacked. It’s a pretty narrow pathway for our playoff odds to increase.
“But in our view, the 2023 picture is increasingly bright, in our view. And if we can continue to get good health, some encouraging signs in the majors and minors that come into focus, I think we will find ourselves — I’m hoping — in one of the more flexible trade deadlines that we’ve encountered.
“We’re going to be looking at different things. There will be moving parts. It’s potentially not going to be a black-and-white path with which way we will approach the deadline. I’m looking forward to seeing what new information the next few weeks bring, both from our team and what happens around the league.”
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