Andrew Stetka: Trade winds may not fill O's sails

We're entering that portion of the baseball season where things start to get crazy. The non-waiver trading deadline is less than two weeks away, and teams are really starting to decide where they stand and whether or not they have what it takes to make a move. For the Orioles, this decision comes with many tentacles. The O's are a team looking to build off three straight winning seasons, which included the first division title since 1997. The problem is that the team still has a few glaring needs that weren't taken care of during the offseason, and there aren't many ways for a quick fix.

The most obvious hole on the team is in the corner outfield spots, where the departures of Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz in the offseason left a hole. Several players who were expected to fill those roles have already been sent packing, while more exits could be on the horizon. I'm still puzzled by the experiment that's placed Chris Davis in right field. There aren't a ton of obvious trade candidates out there that can provide a boost to the outfield for the short or long-term.

The other spot where the team could use a boost is in the rotation. The Orioles have at least six capable starters, and even more candidates in Triple-A, but none of them bring you the confidence of a playoff rotation. This is virtually the same crew that brought the O's an American League East crown last season, but as a collective group they aren't pitching as well. Ubaldo Jimenez has been a remarkable surprise and Wei-Yin Chen has been steady and solid, but there's a big mystery after that. There are questions as to whether or not Chris Tillman can bring performances like he did on Saturday against the Tigers and whether or not Kevin Gausman can be the pitcher many believe he's capable of. The difference on the pitching market is that there are plenty of potential trade targets, especially if you are looking at rentals.

Perhaps the largest issue surrounding the Orioles entering the deadline is the lack of true trade chips. No one really believes they'd dare trade any of what I would consider the big three pending free agents. Matt Wieters, Davis and Chen are staying put. While many believe the O's will have trouble signing any of them this offseason, there's no chance that the team bails on them if they within smelling distance of a playoff spot. That would present a poor message not only to the rest of the team, but to the fanbase.

It's not just the players on the roster, however, that present a problem with getting a trade done. The Orioles have a lack of depth and valuable pieces in the minors to trade away. Unless you believe that they would deal Gausman, and I've yet to speak to one single person who does, there aren't many chips to push into the pot. Injuries to prospects Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey make things look bleaker. Last year's trade of Eduardo Rodriguez stands as another example of the risk of trading a prospect for a rental.

I think much of the fanbase simply questions how good the Orioles are right now, and how much better than can become with an impact trade. It doesn't seem like much can be done, which is why I don't see anything actually happening at the deadline for this team. From the way the trade market feels, it doesn't look like there is an impact bat out there to be had. It also appears that impact pitching will simply be too costly and something the Orioles don't have the ammunition to acquire. Regardless of what the team attempts or actually is able to pull off prior to the deadline, these next 10 games will go a long way in telling what this team as able to do the rest of the season.

Andrew Stetka blogs about the Orioles for Eutaw Street Report. Follow him on Twitter: @AStetka. His thoughts on the O's appear here as part of MASNsports.com's continuing commitment to welcome guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.