3 Baltimore Orioles prospects team could trade away as potential buyers to strengthen depth

The Baltimore Orioles own the second seed in the ultra-competitive American League East. The squad owns a record of 29-18 through the first two months of the season and are eyeing a deep postseason run this fall.

Tne O's have built a reputation as frugal spenders, and the organization heavily relies on developing talent in their farm system. Ahead of this season, though, the team forked out close to $75 million headlined by the signing of former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in hopes of making a World Series run.

With a stellar farm system, the Baltimore Orioles boast four prospects who are included in MLB Pipeline's Top 100, with all of the young players falling within the top-25.

With a plethora of young talent to chose from, let's take a look at some of the prospects the team could ship off to acquire new pieces as the trade deadline approaches.

1) Heston Kjerstad

The 25-year-old outfielder kicks off this list being the sole player who has already made his debut for the main roster. Kjerstad was called up by the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 24, 2023 and appeared in 13 games to finish the year.

Kjerstad is the #22 prospect in the pipeline but has struggled to carve out a role in the outfield, with the likes of Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander.

He has only appearaed in seven games this season and has batted .143. With the pedigree that the Kjerstad has, a move to an outfielder-needy team might rejuvenate the young prospect's career.

2) Coby Mayo

At the time of writing, Coby Mayo is ranked as the 20th best prospect in baseball per MLB pipeline — two spots ahead of the aforementioned Kjerstad. Mayo is a versatile infielder who can be deployed in first and third base.

The 22-year-old is having a productive time in Triple-A Norfolk, recording a slashline of .291/.395/.964 with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs through 42 games. With the aforementioned positions covered, the Baltimore Orioles could certainly use Mayo as a trading piece if an established star becomes available.

3) Chayce McDermott

If the last name looks familiar, it's because the 25-year-old Baltimore Orioles prospect is the brother of NBA player Doug McDermott. Chayce McDermott was a part of the deal that landed crowd-favorite Trey Mancini to Houston two years ago.

Last season, McDermott won the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher of the Year award after posting an 8-8 record with a 3,10 ERA with time spent between Double-A and Triple-A.

With a fastball that can go as high as 97 mph and the hunt for fireballers by teams, McDermott could certainly establish himself elsewhere if the O's decide to ship him out.

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Baltimore Orioles' streak ends

For the first time since the Baltimore Orioles' called up generational talent Adley Rutschman, the team has been swept in a series. The team dropped all three games against the St. Louis Cardinals at home, which included a weather delay that required the game to be suspended and played the next day.

Since May 21, 2022, the Orioles haven't been swept in a series until their eventual fall to the Cardinals on Wednesdy. That places the team on a three-game losing skid but still pegs them with a record of 29-18. Next up for the O's are the struggling Chicago White Sox on a four-game series.