Orioles trade rumors: Baltimore unwilling to deal young arms; not pursuing Kurt Suzuki

The Baltimore Orioles desperately need a top-of-the-rotation arm, but it appears that they may not be willing to give up the pieces to acquire one. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, rival executives have noted that the Orioles are reluctant to part ways with their core of young pitching that includes Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, and Hunter Harvey.

The Orioles have been linked to a number of high-end starting pitchers in recent days, most notably Jon Lester of the division rival Boston Red Sox. However, the Red Sox appear set on acquiring at least one elite prospect in return for the All-Star left-hander, so unless the Orioles change their minds on dealing one of Gausman, Bundy, and Harvey, it seems unlikely that they will be able to pull off a trade.

Orioles' GM Dan Duquette tells Sherman that the organization is "looking for pitching depth" rather than an elite starter. As Sherman notes, it now seems more likely that Baltimore pursues a mid-tier starter, along the lines of Bud Norris, who they acquired at last year's trade deadline.

The Orioles also appear to be looking for upgrades in the bullpen and at second base, as well as a catching option to tie them over for the remainder of the season with Matt Wieters our for the year. Twins' backstop Kurt Suzuki figured to be a logical option for Baltimore, but that appears to no longer be the case, as Sherman and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal report that the Orioles are no longer pursuing the 2014 All-Star.

Baltimore's catchers have hit a terrible .237/.296/.375 with a 80 wRC+ this year, and have easily been the black hole in this Orioles lineup. Suzuki, meanwhile, has been exceptional this season, hitting .309/.367/.392 with a 115 wRC+ and 1.6 WAR. He also comes rather cheaply, owed less than $2 million over the remainder of the season, and will be a free agent this offseason, which fits Baltimore's timetable perfectly. However, the Orioles seem to be worried about a new catcher meshing with the pitching staff this far into the season, and Suzuki isn't exactly held in high regard when it comes to pitch framing.