The Baltimore Orioles are having another miserable season in 2021.
Many fans saw this coming to a certain degree, but it would have been tough to predict a struggle as bad as the one Baltimore is going through.
The Orioles are 28-58 with roughly three months in the books.
Baltimore is somehow already 25 games out of first place in the American League East, and the team’s .326 win percentage is the worst in the AL.
It's such a shame that the #Orioles are the worst team in the AL East because they play in far and away the nicest looking ballpark in the entire division. #BlueJays
— Chad R. Smith (@TheGospelOfChad) July 6, 2021
Losing is part of the rebuilding process, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch.
With the Orioles obviously acting as sellers at the upcoming trade deadline, which two players should the team trade away without any hesitation?
2. Freddy Galvis
Freddy Galvis is far from the most exciting player on the trade market, but there will certainly be some inquiries on him.
And with the 31-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of the season, the Orioles would be wise to trade him away.
Galvis is batting .249 this season with an OPS of .720 and an OPS+ of 97.
That’s generally what you’re going to get from Galvis—some really average numbers.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but he certainly doesn’t blow you away as a hitter.
Now, in the past, Galvis has been able to avoid the injury bug.
Take his 2017 and 2018 campaigns, for example.
Those years, he played in all 162 games.
But a couple of weeks ago, Galvis suffered a leg injury that will keep him sidelined for the next month or two.
The injury will likely hurt his trade value.
Regardless, given the contract situation, he will likely be on the move.
1. John Means
This one would hurt.
No Orioles fan wants to see newly-established staff ace John Means on the move this summer, but it might be the best possible move for a variety of reasons.
For one, Means’ value will likely never be higher than it is right now.
The lefty currently has a 2.28 ERA, 197 ERA+, and 0.83 WHIP across 12 starts this season.
He made headlines earlier in the year by tossing a dominant no-hitter.
And the wildest part?
He was nowhere near this good prior to the 2021 season.
Means entered the year with a career 3.97 ERA, 117 ERA+, and 1.11 WHIP.
His numbers in all of those categories have improved vastly this season.
The second reason a Means trade could make a lot of sense has more to do with timing.
Means is under contract through the 2024 season, so in other words, he is under club control for three more years after this one ends.
It would be silly to think that the Orioles could get back to contending within that time frame.
The team is still several seasons away from being ready to compete for a playoff bid.
By maximizing Means’ value right now, they could acquire a boatload of young talent that better fits the timeline of the rebuild.
That seems like a very attractive option.
Regardless of what the Orioles decide to do, Means has been one of the best stories in baseball this season.
One note: He has missed some time recently due to a sore shoulder, but he’s expected to return soon.
John Means kicks off his rehab outing with a strikeout! pic.twitter.com/TsxwuXmUri
— The Verge- An Orioles MiLB Podcast (@BSLOnTheVerge) July 4, 2021
Seeing him pitch for a contending team would be a great sight for neutral MLB fans.
At what point do you stop trading away your best players to get questionable maybe will be good someday players? I think they should stop trading and keep their best players.