Orioles can boost rotation by trading for this 3-time All-Star

The Baltimore Orioles are 13-22 entering play on Thursday, which is good for the second-worst record in the American League. This team could certainly turn it around, but things aren't looking promising right now. They don't have enough starting pitching to get through the rest of the season.

If the O's can string together some wins, they should be all over trying to make a trade to acquire a top-level starting pitcher. They could look to a team like the St. Louis Cardinals for some help, assuming that St. Louis sells at the deadline as expected.

St. Louis has a better record than Baltimore, so this trade might be unlikely if that stands. The Orioles could use a boost, though, and a trade for Sonny Gray might do the trick, especially if the Cardinals are looking to sell off some pieces and ultimately fall out of contention. Only then does this trade make sense.

A potential Orioles-Cardinals blockbuster Sonny Gray deal

Cade Povich is off to a rough start, but he is still young and could be a prospect the Cardinals show interest in if the Orioles make this deal. But most of all, this gets the Orioles a proven ace-caliber pitcher to lead their rotation and shore things up.

It's not a secret that the rotation needs help, and Gray can give that to Baltimore. He can eat innings and strike hitters out at a high rate. In eight starts with St. Louis this year, Gray owns a 3.50 ERA. Just two years ago, he was second only to Gerrit Cole in the AL Cy Young Award race.

The trade package would depend on how much of Gray's remaining salary the Cardinals would be willing to eat. Gray signed with St. Louis for three years and $75 million in December 2023. The deal also includes a $30 million team option in 2027. If the Cards are willing to take a significant portion, the O's might have to part ways with a few promising young pitchers.

Alex Pham is in Double-A and might not be ready for the bigs until 2026, but he is currently ranked 29th on the Orioles' top 30 prospects list per MLB Pipeline.

Gray alone won't necessarily save the Orioles, but if they can get back into the mix, he could give them an ace and somebody they can trust to start Game 1 of a postseason series. He's also got two years of team control, unlike Corbin Burnes when Baltimore traded for him. We'll see if the O's can get back in the race and make a splash deal.

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