A famous MLB insider says the Baltimore Orioles have the assets to trade for any closer they want, but he has one potential target who could make a significant difference, and his name is not Mason Miller.
The Orioles are off to another solid start in MLB games today, and they have one of the league’s finest records. Unfortunately for Baltimore, they share a division with the New York Yankees, who have the second-best record in MLB.
The Orioles are seen as potential title contenders in 2024, but they must improve and face one huge issue. Craig Kimbrel, a free agent addition, has struggled as their closer this season. It was always risky to rely on a soon-to-be 36-year-old pitcher with fourteen seasons of wear on his arm, and the risk has yielded little benefit.
That is why Baltimore has been connected to a move for a top-tier closer before the MLB trade deadline on July 30. Oakland closer Mason Miller has been mentioned as a potential target in baseball circles, but this week The Athletic’s MLB source and former general manager Jim Bowden proposed another name: Ryan Helsley.
However, the big question is the potential cost of high-end closers like Miller and Helsley, as well as the competition they may face from other teams looking for lockdown relievers in the ninth inning. However, Bowden believes the Orioles have one of the “best and deepest farm systems in baseball, with enough depth to trade multiple outfielders, infielders, and pitchers in their farm system.”
While he believes general manager Mike Elias should avoid trading exceptional prospects such as Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. in exchange for a closer, he did mention a few names that could be enough to obtain the player they want.
“The Orioles’ system is so loaded, Elias could dangle talented but lesser prospects — like Connor Norby, Dylan Beavers, Jud Fabian, and Braylin Tavera — to accomplish their goals.”
The last four players are all ranked in the top 15 in the Baltimore Orioles’ farm system on MLB.com, thus the organization would still have to give up premium prospects in exchange for Miller or Helsley.
