Orioles shouldn’t bite after Dodgers part with former star pitcher

By now, it is no secret to say the Orioles will be looking to upgrade their pitching staff ahead of this year's trade deadline. They have been linked to several pitchers, including Tigers' star lefty Tarik Skubal, White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, and even Pittsburgh right-hander Jared Jones. The problem with these young pitchers with years of team control? It will cost an awful lot of prospect capital for Mike Elias to bring them to Baltimore.

A new pitcher joined the group of available starting pitchers, and he will likely cost a team next to nothing: left-hander James Paxton.

The Dodgers' decision to designate Paxton for assignment is somewhat surprising. The 6'4", 212 pound 35 year-old is 8-2 on the season with a 4.43 ERA, and was the winning pitcher in Sunday night's Dodger victory over the Red Sox. However, he had struggled as of late, starting with a start in San Francisco on June 30 where he allowed 9 runs in only 4 innings of work. His ERA has ballooned from 3.29 on May 29 to 4.43, where it currently stands.

Despite looking for a starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline, the Orioles should pass on lefty James Paxton

The Baltimore Orioles, meanwhile, are looking to improve their starting pitching. With season-ending injuries to John Means, Tyler Wells, and Kyle Bradish, the Orioles' rotation currently stands at Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Alberto Suarez, and Chayce McDermott (who will presumably replace Cade Povich, who was optioned before the All-Star break).

While the Orioles can trust Burnes and Rodriguez (as shown by their strong pitching in wins this weekend in Texas), it is unclear how far that trust stretches with Kremer, Suarez, and Irvin. Kremer has struggled since returning from injury in June, and Suarez, who has not pitched in the big leagues since 2017, should not be expected to start every fifth day for the remainder of the season.

That brings us to the question - could the Orioles and Dodgers' starter James Paxton be a match?

Despite the Orioles obvious need for pitching, the answer is no. Indeed, the O's passed on a chance to sign Paxton this offseason. And do not be fooled by the 8 wins - Paxton pitched for the mighty Dodgers, who's star-studded lineup regularly gave him run support. His peripherals were poor, as he struck out only 64 batters in 89.1 innings, a noticeable decline from last season's 101 strikeouts in 96 innings. His xERA stands at 4.85, nearly a half run higher than his ERA of 4.43, indicating that he has been lucky this season.

No, what the Orioles need to do is bite the bullet and trade from their loaded farm system to acquire a difference maker such as Skubal (or Texas' Max Scherzer if he is available). This is likely Corbin Burnes' lone season in Baltimore, and the Orioles need to capitalize on this window of opportunity. Ultimately, Paxton's best days are behind him, and he is no better bet than Cole Irvin to pitch well for the rest of the season.

The Orioles should pass on Paxton and aim higher.