Orioles’ latest Top 100 Prospect might be better used as trade bait

It's the time of year when the various publications that rank MLB prospects are coming out with their rankings, and this year, a new Baltimore Oriole is making his debut on many of these lists. With the latest updates, Nate George is now a top 100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline (93), Baseball America (86), and The Athletic (78).

Nate George was the Orioles' 16th-round draft pick in 2024. Last year was his first season of professional baseball, and he made the most of it. He started the year in Rookie ball and was promoted twice during the season, finishing in High-A.

Here were his numbers at each level:

This breakout year got him on the radar of evaluators. Baseball America added him to their top 100 in their midseason update, and now other reputable rankers have also added George to their rankings.

George's stand-out tool is his speed, which he shows off both on defense in center field and on the base paths. He didn't hit for a ton of "over the fence power"; he had just five homers all year and only two once he was promoted from Rookie ball. He is young enough that it is fair to project that as he develops more physically, his in-game power will begin to show.

Having a 16th-round pick out of high school become a top-100 prospect after one season is a big-time scouting and development win. Teams all over the league are likely kicking themselves for overlooking George in the draft. This is part of why the Orioles should strike while the iron is hot and trade him while his arrow is still pointing straight up.

The Orioles are in the midst of an aggressive win now offseason

This offseason the Orioles gave big money to Pete Alonso. They traded Grayson Rodriguez with four years of control for a one-year rental of Taylor Ward. They traded four prospects and a draft pick for Shane Baz. It's been the most win now offseason since Mike Elias took over.

The one thing this offseason is missing is a top-of-the-rotation starter. The Orioles have been consistently rumored to be interested in Framber Valdez, but the process has drawn out so long it feels very possible that the two sides aren't going to be able to find a middle ground to bring the deal home.

If the Orioles don't get Valdez, there is no other top-of-the-rotation arm on the free agent market which leaves the trade market as the only remaining avenue to fill that hole in the roster. The teams that have starters they could trade that haven't traded them yet are looking to get multiple top prospects in the deal. That's where Nate George can best help the Orioles.

George's ascension to top prospect status comes at a perfect time for the Orioles. The Orioles' other top prospects, Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers, are expected to play major roles on the 2026 team. Other young pieces like Enrique Bradfield Jr and Coby Mayo appear to be going in the wrong direction in terms of value. Trey Gibson plays a position the Orioles desperately need. Nate George is the Orioles' best trade piece that they can give up without impacting their 2026 outlook.

The timing is perfect, not that teams are basing who they want in a trade strictly off of public prospect rankings but having George's name appear in all these rankings definitely helps in the negotiating process. There is a big difference between a trade package headlined by an unknown 16th-round pick with some good Low-A numbers and a trade package headlined by a consensus top 100 prospect. Even if George is the same player either way, the notoriety helps sell the deal to fans, media, and ownership, which are things that GMs have to consider.

The current Orioles team needs pitching so badly that they should be willing to trade George even if he's certainly going to be a future big league centerfielder. However, it's worth pointing out that there is also no guarantee that George will have trade value a year from now. All it would take is a year of struggling in High-A, and George would go from an exciting potential all-star centerfield type of prospect to a slap-hitting 4th outfielder type prospect. The Orioles should cash out now and finish off this "all-in" offseason.