MLB insider highlights unique roadblock that derails some Orioles trade plans

This offseason is different, as the MLB lockout changes the way teams prepare for the upcoming season in a multitude of ways. In some cases, the Baltimore Orioles were already inclined to favor players on short-term deals, and with the owners' latest proposal to kick the can on the salary cap down the road until 2028, trading for a player on an expiring contract becomes even more enticing.

Like all things labor-related, that cuts like a double-edged sword. Having an extra year to prepare for what the future holds would be a huge advantage, but the players stand steadfast in their opposition to a salary cap of any kind. Therefore, it seems like we're chugging full steam ahead toward a lockout on December 1.

That brings us to a nugget from MLB insider Jon Morosi, who reported that teams will be hesitant to trade prospects for players entering their final year of their contracts. The thought process behind the reticence is solid: who wants to give up valuable assets when you have no idea if there will even be a 2027 season, let alone what one would look like once the lockout eventually ends.

You can extend that thinking to young players, with team control being used as trade chips for expiring deals as well. The same logic applies, and that's where Baltimore really gets hurt. The Orioles have made it known that almost everyone (except Pete Alonso) is up for grabs in a trade. The vast majority of those chips consist of younger players with years of team control remaining who have failed to break out up to this point. Those are prime assets to swap for one-year veterans.

Morosi notes a number of players who would've been prime trade targets for Baltimore, including a pair of starters who have long been connected to the Orioles, Sandy Alcantara and Joe Ryan, plus an ideal outfield upgrade in Steven Kwan.

Trade market reality should force the Orioles to spend big in free agency, or else the risk wasting another year

The Orioles, of course, could trade for players other than rentals, however, the price tag for most controllable options that fit their needs is expected to be astronomical. Just look the reported price tag the Chicago Cubs were going to pay for Los Angeles Angels ace Reid Detmers at the trade deadline before the deal fell apart.

The financial uncertainty and the potential upheaval of the current system only make those controllable pieces more valuable, and Baltimore didn't load up on prospects at the trade deadline in the Adley Rutschman deal for no reason.

The club hired Jared Banner as its new general manager in large part due to his prowess in the field of player development. That should send a strong message. The Orioles are looking to build a consistent pipeline of talent to help them remain competitive against the AL East behemoths like the Yankees and Red Sox. That was also the plan prior to Banner's arrival, but the development end of things fell short, with so many top prospects struggling.

Now, with Banner in the fold, Baltimore is going to look to take that same long-term strategy and execute it more effectively than it has in the past. In the meantime, though, there are expectations that the club fields a competitive roster and returns to the postseason in 2027.

If the trade market is no longer a viable path, then Mike Elias and crew will have to make the necessary improvements via free agency. Historically, Elias has made moves that were more economical than impactful when it comes to free agency. The greatest exception to that rule was last year's big-money deal handed out to Pete Alonso.

When it comes to fulfilling the roster's needs, especially in the rotation and the outfield, those half-measures won't work. If the Orioles are going to break the cycle of underwhelming during the regular season and missing the playoffs, they're going to have to make multiple big splashes for star-level players. That presents its own set of challenges, as we aren't sure what restrictions will be placed on payroll moving forward, but with all else considered, this path is the lesser of all of the evils.

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