Orioles remain quiet as next trade deadline approaches

With the second trade deadline arriving on Friday, the Orioles aren't poised to make other moves after doing the heavy lifting last month.

Players must pass through waivers before a deal can be struck - most of them clear - and Friday marks the last day that they're eligible for inclusion on a team's playoff roster.

Everything can change with a single phone call or text, but I'm hearing that there's nothing percolating with the Orioles.

They checked the market for veteran outfielder Craig Gentry after he came off the disabled list, but there hasn't been much interest. The timing could have favored the Orioles because he's 12-for-33 with his first home run this month and offers speed and the ability to play all three positions.

The Orioles couldn't work out a trade for Danny Valencia before releasing him and he remains a free agent. Mark Trumbo is on the disabled list and awaiting surgery on his right knee. Adam Jones still holds the 10-5 card and he isn't folding.

Starters Alex Cobb and Andrew Cashner could be taken at the right price, but it hasn't been presented to executive vice president Dan Duquette.

I'm also hearing that potential matches with the Athletics and Indians have been explored.

The A's keep losing starters to the disabled list and the Indians just returned reliever Andrew Miller to the DL with a left shoulder impingement.

Multiple reports indicate that the A's aren't going to bring in anymore starters before the deadline.

The Orioles are fine with having Cobb as the rotation's centerpiece in a rebuild, his leadership in a more youthful clubhouse also valued, but make them an offer. They're going to "listen on" anybody in the organization, including a pitcher with three seasons remaining on the four-year, $57 million contract he signed in spring training.

Cobb has full no-trade protection this season and he can list 10 teams from 2019-21 that require his consent.

Duquette struck five deals before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, sending shortstop Manny Machado to the Dodgers, closer Zach Britton to the Yankees, reliever Brad Brach to the Braves, starter Kevin Gausman and injured reliever Darren O'Day to the Braves and second baseman Jonathan Schoop to the Brewers. In return, the Orioles received 15 players and $2.75 million in international signing bonus slots.

* The Orioles have announced three of their international signings and more are coming in the next few weeks.

They've confirmed Dominican infielder Moises Ramirez, 16, right-hander Carlos del Rosario, 19, and switch-hitting outfielder Isaac Bellony, 16. They're known to also have agreements with Dominican outfielder Damien Valdez and right-hander Kelvin LaRoche, and center fielder J'Rudjeanon Isenia of Curaçao.

The Orioles' representatives scouting in the Dominican include former Padres and Mets general manager Joe McIlvaine, now a senior advisor of player personnel under Duquette.

* I wrote yesterday that left-hander Josh Rogers will get one more start with the Orioles after winning his major league debut on Tuesday. They're expected to shut him down because he's already reached 144 2/3 innings with three teams.

"That could be it. We'll see," said manager Buck Showalter.

Gray Fenter made his final start Tuesday night at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He's logged 83 2/3 innings, including 26 1/3 at Single-A Delmarva, and it's time to rest him.

"We have a lot of them like that," Showalter said.

The Orioles selected Fenter in the seventh round of the 2015 draft and gave him a $1 million bonus, way above the slot amount, after he committed to Mississippi State University. He missed the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and threw 30 1/3 innings in 2017.

* IronBirds shortstop Adam Hall, the Orioles' second-round pick in 2017, went 0-for-4 last night to end his hitting streak at 19 games. He had a career-high four hits Tuesday night.

Hall, 19, began last night batting .304/.382/.392 in 57 games. He played in only two games last summer in the Gulf Coast League and was held back at extended spring training.

"I'll tell you, the Adam Hall kid, have you all been keeping up with him?" Showalter asked. "He is really doing well. He's hitting over .300. He's a young guy at that level. (Director of player development) Brian Graham was saying the other day what a great job that they've done with him this year.

"You really don't want those kids to ever spend two years in the Gulf Coast League. They call it the 'Smokey League.' Out in Arizona it's the 'Fire League.' When you know what you're going to, you've been there before, it's a tough league. Nobody there, sun, the heat. It's tough. So, you do everything possible to keep from sending those kids twice to that league and extended spring twice. So, I was glad he got out of there.

"Good-looking player. He's come along."

* Showalter gave John Andreoli his second start in center field last night while Cedric Mullins was missing from the lineup for the third time in four games.

The Orioles are deciding whether Andreoli could compete for a job as a fourth outfielder next spring. They also are making sure that Mullins' sore hip doesn't become a chronic issue. And while they aren't going to platoon Mullins at this stage of his career, he's been better from the left side of the plate throughout his professional career and the Blue Jays started southpaws on consecutive nights.

Asked about his early impressions of Andreoli, Showalter said, "Very physical player, fast underway. Probably not anybody on our club runs better than him underway. He can really run. He can pick up a lot of ground in a hurry."

It showed last night in the sixth inning of a tie game. Andreoli reached on an infield hit, stole second base and raced home on Austin Wynns' single. And it showed again in the eighth with a leadoff double to left field and a run scored on Wynns' sacrifice bunt and a throwing error by pitcher Ken Giles.

"Just familiarizing ourselves with him a little bit," Showalter said. "I try not to get, one look and got it all figured out. See a guy throw one time and hit one time. Just let it play out. I've got some early impressions, but none that I'd want to commit to. We've got some time. Nothing negative. Just as advertised."