Orioles could use the Giants fire sale to find solution to long time pitching weakness

The San Francisco Giants' season has not gone the way they hoped it would, and in the National League, where the bar to make the playoffs is much higher this year than it is in the American League, it seems like their playoff hopes have already dwindled down to none. It seems that their slow start to the season has opened the Giants' eyes to the fact that their core group of players is old, expensive, and not very good. So, after trading away their primary starting catcher for a draft pick, they've signaled that they are open for business and interested in moving any and all of their big contract players. If the Giants are willing to listen on starter Logan Webb, the Orioles should be relentlessly calling them from now until the trade deadline and make sure that if he gets moved, he stays wearing orange and black.

Webb would be a perfect fit for the Baltimore Orioles. Over the past five seasons, he's been the most durable and consistent starter in the league. From 2021 to 2025, he averaged 32 starts per year at a 3.19 ERA with a 2.90 FIP. He led the league in innings pitched three times and got Cy Young votes in each of the past four seasons. He's been a metronome for the Giants, and that's exactly what the Orioles rotation, which has been erratic and oft-injured so much over the last three seasons, needs more than anything.

Adding Logan Webb to the Orioles would be a move for both the present and the future

On top of his skill set as a starter, what seals the deal as far as him being the perfect target for the Orioles is his contract. The Orioles have made it clear over the last few years that they don't want to give pitchers long-term deals. They're terrified of getting stuck paying big money for the post-prime years of a once-great starter. Webb is under contract for the 2027 and 2028 seasons for $23 and $24 million. Those are his age-30 and age-31 seasons, prime years. If the Orioles are willing to pay Chris Bassitt 18.5 million for his age-37 season, then taking on Webb's should be a no-brainer.

Webb got off to an uncharacteristically slow start and just recently hit the IL with right knee bursitis. The bad start and the injury could serve to scare some teams away from paying up for Webb, but it really shouldn't. Webb was clearly struggling because of the injury, and now that he's taking the time to get right when he returns, he should be his usual effective self. Assuming the Giants are being truthful, the diagnosis of knee bursitis is not something to worry about long-term. It's inflammation from overuse, and it's treated with rest and ice; there is not a season-ending surgery coming for Webb.

With the Orioles sitting at 19-23, they don't look like they are in a prime buying position, but even if they themselves are out of the playoff race at the deadline, they should be interested in Webb anyway. Good starting pitchers on affordable contracts don't go on the market every year. If Webb gets moved at this deadline, whatever team gets him is not going to make him available in the offseason. If the Orioles want Webb for the next two years, they may need to make their move for him this season, even if it looks a little funny at the time.

As far as what it would cost to pry Webb away from the Giants, the price is going to be high. In the report where it came out that the Giants were looking to move some of their big contracts, Webb was mentioned as someone the Giants would listen to but were not looking to move, so this isn't going to be a matter of the Orioles just getting Webb as a salary dump; they'll need to force the Giants' hand.

At least one of the Orioles top upper-minors pitching prospects would have to be in the deal, along with at least one of their first-round picks from last year's draft, and that would be just the start of the conversation. Imagine the Shane Baz trade if every prospect in that trade was better, and that's about what it would cost to get Webb. It would hurt, but it would be worth it to finally add the missing piece to this Orioles rotation.

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