1 realistic trade, 1 bold trade, and 1 trade mistake the Orioles could make at the GM meetings

Typically, the MLB General Manager Meetings quietly come and go each offseason, with the annual retreat featuring much less excitement than the Winter Meetings. However, the impending lockout and expected frenziness beforehand may lead to busier-than-usual GM meetings, and the Baltimore Orioles must be prepared. 

The Orioles tend to work in silence, but perhaps we get a few nuggets about rumored free agent targets and trade scenarios while general managers and executives convene in Las Vegas. With that in mind, here’s one realistic trade, one bold trade, and one trade mistake the Orioles could make at the GM meetings. 

Realistic, bold, and mistakes the Baltimore Orioles could make with trades at this week's GM Meetings

Realistic trade: Orioles trade for RHP George Kirby

It appears likely that the Seattle Mariners look to upgrade their offense in exchange for pitching this offseason, in which case the Orioles should look to strike a deal. Baltimore has an excess of infield options, including Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Blaze Alexander, along with plenty of arms in the upper minors who are close to MLB-ready. The Orioles could also include outfielders such as Colton Cowser or Dylan Beavers in a package for Kirby to help address Seattle's offensive needs.

It’s been reported that Logan Gilbert and the Mariners won’t agree to an extension before he hits free agency after the 2027 season, but trades for one-year rentals may be few and far between ahead of the lockout. Kirby brings with him an extra year of team control and has an arbitration salary estimate of $9.8 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors, which could be very attractive to the Orioles. 

The former Elon standout is coming off a season that featured a career-low strikeout rate (20%) and a career-high 4.33 ERA, but perhaps a fresh start with a new organization and a different set of eyes can unlock the version of George Kirby we saw back in 2023 and 2024. Per Baseball Savant, Kirby threw seven different pitches last season and is a notorious tinkerer with his stuff. The Orioles have had recent success with these types of pitchers and may be able to find a plan of attack that helps Kirby rebound in 2027 and beyond. 

Bold trade: Trade Jackson Holliday

Trading the number one overall pick in the 2022 draft just days before his 23rd birthday would make quite the statement. While Holliday has underperformed since reaching the big leagues, it’s fair to think he can still develop into a solid big leaguer, but do the Orioles believe in him enough to see his development through, or do they move now before he has another down year and loses what trade value he has now? 

Holliday missed all of spring training after suffering a broken hamate just days before the start of spring camp, and his rehab in the minors halted at one point due to pain and discomfort from the surgery. His 2026 season ultimately ended with surgery on his wrist. There’s little reason to believe that Holliday was healthy at any point this season. 

However, Holliday could be traded to upgrade the outfield or the starting rotation, and the move would help free up the infield logjam by moving Jordan Westburg over to second base and leaving third base to some combination of Mayo, Alexander, and Encarnacion-Strand. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if Holliday is moved, but it would be a bold move for a front office that has largely relied on homegrown talent. Maybe yet another down year in 2026 has the front office ready to switch things up. 

One mistake: Trading for Ketel Marte

Yes, the Orioles need more production out of the second base position, and the Orioles could revisit trade talks involving Jackson Holliday, but if the Orioles find themselves in the market for a second baseman, it shouldn’t be Ketel Marte. 

The now 33-year-old is coming off his worst offensive performance since 2022, hitting .249 with a 103 wRC+ across 141 games for the Diamondbacks. Maybe an uncharacteristically low 8% walk rate was an anomaly, and he can pair his usually low strikeout rate with a 10-11% walk rate again, and maybe his .280 expected batting average is more indicative of what type of hitter he was last season, but it’s incredibly hard to ignore the distractions that Marte brings with him. 

According to Spotrac, Marte will make north of $13 million in 2027, which could be completely reasonable if he rebounds next season, but he’s scheduled to make $20 million-plus each of the next three seasons after that. It’s hard to imagine many teams willing to be on the hook for that part of his contract as he gets into his mid-30s. 

If the Orioles do have plans to trade Holliday, or move another infielder and have Holliday move around in more of a utility role, the Orioles shouldn’t look to fill second base with a trade for Ketel Marte. Leave that headache for someone else to deal with. 

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