Just a few days ago, it was reported that the Orioles were willing to listen to offers on Kevin Gausman, which appeared to signal that the team was hoping to add a significant piece before the deadline; however that may not be the case. According to Jon Morosi, Baltimore could be getting ready to enter full sell mode, and give up on their playoff hopes for 2015.
#Orioles giving "serious consideration" to becoming sellers, source says. Could mean trades for Chris Davis and Matt Wieters. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 24, 2015
According to their Pythagorean W-L record, the Orioles should actually be 51-43, which would put them in second place and in a clear position to buy. Unfortunately for Baltimore, that total doesn't mean anything at all for actual gameplay, and it could cause the front office to start restocking on prospects.
Morosi mentions Chris Davis and Matt Wieters as pieces that Dan Duquette might sell to the highest bidder, and they could just be the start. If Davis and Wieters were placed on the trading block, which would make sense considering their impending free agency, it would be surprising if Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day, and Brian Matusz weren't also made available. Bullpen arms are highly coveted in today's market, and all three would likely receive a lot of interest from various teams.
There's now one week before the deadline passes, and teams will need to commit to decisions quickly. Front offices need to fully embrace whether or not they're buyers or sellers, and start making deals before it's too late.