Some trade banter and other notes

If the Orioles discuss trading closer Zach Britton - or any prominent player - and then pull off a deal, can it help the team address its biggest need? Will the Orioles get starting pitching in return?

That would be desirable for the Orioles. With just two pitchers set for the 2018 rotation in Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman, they are going to need to add starters any way they can, and the trade front is one avenue that could work.

The potential issue is that any contending team that wants to add a top reliever like Britton seems not likely to give up any established starting pitcher in return. Why add to one area of the pitching staff while subtracting from another?

But certainly a pitching prospect or perhaps even more than one could come back to Baltimore as part of a deal. Then it's a matter of what level prospect such a deal could provide the Orioles and how close that pitcher is to pitching in the majors.

The Orioles need immediate rotation help and a deal may not provide that. But adding pitching prospects may be the next best thing. Former O's executive Andy MacPhail used to say something along the lines of, "if you have 10 pitching prospects, you have two or three." O's fans certainly understand the math and all prospects don't make it.

Dealing Britton may not net the club a pitcher ready to join the Orioles rotation in April. But maybe adding pitching prospects would be the next-best thing as the club waits to see how 2018 plays out for right-hander Hunter Harvey and some of its own pitching prospects.

First-time voter: It was an honor to become a first-time voter for a Baseball Writers' Association of America award this year. I voted for the American League Manager of the Year Award, won by Minnesota's Paul Molitor last night.

Molitor, who was elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 2004, is the second Hall of Famer to be named Manager of the Year. The other was Frank Robinson, the AL Manager of the Year in 1989 for the Orioles. Robinson had been elected to the Hall in 1982.

My ballot listed Molitor first, Cleveland's Terry Francona second and A.J. Hinch of Houston third, just as they finished. The voting was conducted before the postseason.

Santander's big game: He is not exactly tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League - batting just .208 - but Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander had his best game in the AFL yesterday. He went 2-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBIs.

Santander is on an RBI run, driving in at least one run in five straight and eight of his past nine games. He has one homer and 15 RBIs in 18 AFL games. He is batting .350 (7-for-20) when hitting with runners in scoring position. Baseball America published this feature on Santander yesterday.

Check out some video: I joined Sara Perlman from "MASN All-Access" in the Camden Yards Warehouse yesterday for a live video on the Orioles. We took plenty of questions and addressed just about every key topic surrounding the team right now. Check it out below or on the MASN Orioles Facebook page.