Pressure is mounting for Orioles' Mike Elias as 2024 trade deadline haunts Baltimore

Few teams were as busy as the Baltimore Orioles during the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline. General manager Mike Elias was aggressive, trying to find the right pieces to complement a roster of young stars. Although the Orioles reached the playoffs for the second straight year, they again failed to win a game in October.

Amid Baltimore's rough start to the 2025 season, some of last July's trade decisions are returning to the forefront. Less than a year since the moves were made, it hasn't all worked out for the O's.

Acquiring Zach Eflin was seen as a win at the time and remains that way. The veteran starter is 7-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts with Baltimore. Once he returns from the injured list, Eflin will undoubtedly breathe some life into an Orioles starting rotation desperate for help.

Besides that, Elias' acquisitions have not panned out well, most notably the trade for Trevor Rogers. The Orioles gave up Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby for Rogers. The return has been anything but positive for Baltimore.

Rogers started the season on the injured list and began a rehab assignment in late April. In three minor-league starts, the lefty posted a 10.57 ERA after allowing nine runs in 7 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .364 off Rogers, who also struggled last season upon his arrival in Baltimore. The Orioles optioned him to the minors after only four starts in which he allowed 15 earned runs across 19 innings. Rogers closed the year with a 5.65 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Norfolk.

Meanwhile, Stowers is off to a flying start in 2025 with the Marlins. The 27-year-old has a .310 batting average with an on-base plus slugging above .900 through 32 games. He's 17-for-51 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 15 games. After two multi-home run games last week, Stowers was named National League Player of the Week on Monday.

Orioles trade acquisitions failing to provide consistency

The trade for Rogers appears to be a huge swing-and-miss for the Orioles. Another intriguing move Baltimore made last summer was obtaining relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto from the Philadelphia Phillies. The duo hasn't exactly been lights out for the O's.

Dominguez has been the better of the two and was briefly Baltimore's closer last season. He saved 10 games and finished the year with a 3.97 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 25 games for the Orioles. This year, Dominguez has 10 scoreless outings in 12 appearances, but he allowed five total runs in the other two, inflating his ERA to 4.22. He's throwing 56% of his pitches for strikes, down from 62% in 2024.

Consistency has eluded Soto, as the left-hander has a 4.97 ERA in 36 appearances since the trade. Some of his underlying metrics suggest Soto is getting unlucky this season. Baseball Savant has his expected ERA at 3.41, much lower than his actual 4.76 mark. Opponents have yet to barrel a ball against Soto, though the hard-hit rate against him ranks in the 18th percentile.

Rogers, Dominguez, and Soto still have time to enhance their stock and become key contributors to the 2025 Orioles. If they don't, questions may arise about whether Elias is the right person to lead Baltimore's front office in the future.

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