The Baltimore Orioles gave it a real shot. But as July approaches and the standings remain stacked against them, the writingâs on the wall. At 34â45, Baltimore sits 11 games back in the AL East after falling to the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Tuesday.
Now Adley Rutschman is out. The pitching hasnât held, and the offense is streaky. The momentumâs fading. And with a roster that doesnât look built for a serious 2025 playoff run, Baltimoreâs path forward is becoming clearer.
They wonât blow it up â they donât need to. But they are expected to shift course. And if that shift comes, Ryan OâHearn becomes the first piece to move, ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline on July 31.
Orioles Are Drawing Significant Interest
OâHearn, 31, is having a breakout season. Once a depth pickup from the Kansas City Royals, heâs now Baltimoreâs most consistent hitter against right-handed pitching. Heâs on an expiring deal, hitting for average and power, and doing it in a lineup thatâs offered little protection. This isnât a fluke.
“O’Hearn is having an out-of-nowhere career year, hitting over .300 (and with the underlying metrics to support that) along with being on pace for a career high in homers,” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote Tuesday. “He doesn’t face lefty pitchers much at all, and his splits suggest that he shouldn’t.”
Thatâs exactly the kind of profile that draws deadline attention.
Multiple contenders are already expected to target left-handed bats, especially those who can handle first base or designated hitter.
Baltimore, meanwhile, isnât just selling for the sake of it. Theyâre positioning for whatâs next. Moving OâHearn would clear the way for Coby Mayo or Connor Norby to get big-league reps down the stretch. Both need real ABs. Both are part of the future. That future isnât two or three years away â itâs next April. Thatâs what this move would support.
O’Hearn’s Departure Won’t Leave Orioles Flat
The return for OâHearn wonât be massive, but it doesnât have to be. Teams value his production, and the Orioles would be looking for something practical â maybe a controllable bullpen arm, or a swingman-type starter with minor league options, or a utility player who fills a bench role in 2026. One useful piece. Thatâs enough.
This is what good front offices do. They donât hold just to hold. They sell when the value peaks and when the roster tells them itâs time. OâHearn has done everything asked of him. Heâs been productive, reliable, and professional. Now, his success gives Baltimore the flexibility to improve for next year without hurting the core theyâre building around.
Mike Elias isnât punting on this group. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser, Grayson Rodriguez â theyâre all still on the rise. But the Orioles arenât catching lightning in a bottle this year. What they can do is extract value now, and set themselves up for a deeper, more complete version of the roster in 2026.
OâHearn is predicted to move on. The Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers among the best suitors.
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