The Baltimore Orioles sit 7.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, and with the MLB trade deadline
The Baltimore Orioles sit 7.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, and with the MLB trade deadline coming soon, the future of Felix Bautista might be the biggest story. Baltimore seems destined to sell away key pieces; however, will the elite closer be a part of the firesale leaving Camden Yards in a few weeks?
According to SNY’s Andy Martino, rival clubs believe the Orioles won’t trade Bautista ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline. The 30-year-old closer is coming off Tommy John surgery and has been electric with a 2.41 ERA. In fact, Bautista boasted a stunning 0.82 ERA over 11 innings pitched in June.
Baltimore has been linked to possibly trading Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, Charlie Morton, and other pitchers over the last few weeks, but parting ways with its star closer would make little sense. Orioles general manager Mike Elias hopes to compete in 2026, and Bautista is under contract through the 2027 season.
If the Orioles were to trade Bautista at the MLB trade deadline, the return would likely be massive. However, there are no plans for Baltimore to enter a rebuild, and keeping Bautista would be the best course of action in securing a strong back-end of its bullpen.
Related: Detroit Tigers linked to Gold Glove third baseman from Baltimore Orioles
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