5 big-swing trade ideas for the Orioles to consider

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There are creative ways Mike Elias and Jared Banner will surely pursue in their attempts to improve the Orioles. Free agency is an option, but it’s not the only way.

The following players are merely interesting options — not guarantees. Elias and Banner, the Orioles’ president of baseball operations and general manager, respectively, may make a phone call and get hung up on immediately. But early in the winter, we have the benefit of speculation.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras

The Orioles will surely look to bolster their backup catching options behind Samuel Basallo, but one possibility to enhance the lineup and protect Basallo from injury is to seek a trade for William Contreras, the postseason hero with the Milwaukee Brewers who earned the World Series MVP honor.

Basallo could benefit from the durable Contreras in front of him; he would still catch but could stay fresh with days at designated hitter. Contreras caught an MLB-leading 128 games this season, while Basallo caught 63. Ideally, Basallo grows into a more everyday catcher, but one year of Contreras could help the 22-year-old Basallo develop into that with time.

The Brewers are probably not looking to part with their World Series hero. But Contreras is only under team control for one more season after the team exercised his $15.5 million club option. In a sense, this could mirror the Corbin Burnes trade of 2024. Burnes, with one more year of team control in Milwaukee, was traded to the Orioles. He delivered a season’s worth of strong performances before departing in free agency.

Contreras hit .270 with a .758 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season. Most teams would want that sort of production from their catcher. Milwaukee may see the benefit of cashing in on their star before the open market beckons. Or, perhaps a large extension is coming Contreras’ way.

Tampa Bay Rays right-handed starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen

The Orioles have found a very willing trade partner in the Tampa Bay Rays over the years. Could they go back to the well for right-hander Drew Rasmussen?

Rasmussen would instantly become another top-end starter in Baltimore’s rotation. Tampa Bay picked up his $20 million club option for 2027. Like Contreras, Rasmussen is set to hit the open market in 2028.

The two-time All-Star is coming off a strong postseason, and he finished the regular season with a 2.67 ERA in 172 innings. He has elite control of a cutter, sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup that he uses to induce weak contact.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan

The Orioles can join a long queue for the services of Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, and even then, it’s hard to know if Cleveland really would be willing to trade a centerpiece of the team. Kwan, 29, is under team control for one more year.

He does so many of the things Baltimore needs out of a corner outfielder, and he can also play center as needed. The lefty batter does not strike out (only 62 times in 637 regular-season plate appearances in 2026), he walks at a high clip and boasts a .282 batting average. Couple all that with strong defense and Kwan solves many Orioles problems.

Los Angeles Angels left-handed starting pitcher Reid Detmers

Of the pitchers on this list, left-hander Reid Detmers likely will cost the most prospect capital because he’s under team control through the end of the 2028 season.

The Angels starter is coming off a strong season in which he pitched 185 innings with a 3.36 ERA. If Baltimore does indeed lose left-hander Trevor Rogers in free agency, then Detmers could be a prime target to add a southpaw to the rotation. Detmers has an above-average four-seam fastball and he pairs it with a devastating slider.

New York Mets right-handed starting pitcher Tylor Megill

He’s not as big a swing as some of the other names on this list, but his nickname is the Big Drip, so there’s that. Mets right-hander Tylor Megill is a floor-raising option who could pop into something much more interesting after recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery he underwent in September 2025.

Megill, the brother of Brewers World Series winner Trevor Megill, is arbitration eligible for one more year before becoming a free agent in 2028. When healthy, there was plenty to like about Megill’s low home run rate and strong strikeout rate. His fastball, before surgery, averaged around 95 mph and his slider forced a 46.4% whiff rate in 2025.