Where Mike Elias and the Orioles stand ahead of the trade deadline

DETROIT — Shortly before these players disbanded for the All-Star break, Pete Alonso called together the Orioles for a message.

“Pete told us all, ‘Hey, let’s make it a 15-game year right here. A 15-game season. Let’s go out there and go balls to the wall,’” outfielder Colton Cowser recalled.

There are only three games remaining of the 15 Alonso told his Orioles teammates about. So far, Baltimore has gone 7-5 — a winning record, but perhaps not as decisive as the Orioles required to become true buyers.

Still, when the Orioles completed their largest comeback victory since 2009 on Wednesday, they showed a level of fight that might be enough to sway the front office, with three games remaining before the trade deadline, to at least avoid a sell-off.

“Have we done enough? We obviously haven’t played our best, but I’d like to think we’ve shown glimpses of what this team could do,” Alonso said. “We’ve beaten some good teams. We’ve beaten some really good arms. We’ve shown what our ceiling can be. It’s just, our consistency hasn’t been there. But if we get guys healthy and put our best foot forward for a long period of time, I think we can do that.”

Players around the Orioles clubhouse, naturally, expressed optimism in the remainder of the season. With his team at 53-56 and 2.5 games back of the final American League wild-card spot, president of baseball operations Mike Elias must decide the immediate path forward while also keeping the future in mind.

The Orioles are holding out as long as possible to determine their deadline approach, although they are making plans for buying, selling and a mix of both, according to multiple sources throughout the industry, and are expected to be active ahead of the deadline.

The likeliest path forward, sources said, is for Baltimore to buy and sell.

The Orioles could be in the market for bullpen and outfield help. A left-handed reliever would be a valuable addition, and a right-handed bat wouldn’t go amiss. Meanwhile, it’s possible for the Orioles to move expiring contracts, such as outfielder Taylor Ward and left-hander Trevor Rogers.

By contrast, while three sources said teams have called to check on the availability of infielder Jackson Holliday and catcher Adley Rutschman, the Orioles aren’t actively shopping those players. Two sources said the asking price for Holliday and Rutschman, for instance, would be steep, which in all likelihood would ward off teams from a trade.

Holliday is 22, and despite not finding consistent success in the majors yet, he finished the series in Detroit with eight hits and is batting .370 with a .926 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in July. Rutschman, Elias’ first pick as Baltimore’s lead decision- maker, is on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. But Rutschman remains a key figure in the clubhouse and a centerpiece of the lineup when healthy.

One area the Orioles could subtract from, however, is their bullpen. One source indicated that Baltimore would be open to moving one of their right-handed relievers, such as Yennier Cano, Tyler Wells, Rico Garcia or Andrew Kittredge. Of that group, Kittredge is the lone rental. Cano has garnered trade interest in the past, as well, a second source said, and could be the most prized of the group.

In all, it’s setting up to be a late-developing trade deadline for most teams.

The series in Detroit was part of Alonso’s 15-game season, and it featured much of the maddening play that has plagued the Orioles all season. Baltimore won the opening game, then was demolished in the second game — their worst shutout loss since 2004. The finale featured three errors, a seven-run deficit and a rousing comeback.

“We’re not trying to show the front office anything,” manager Craig Albernaz said when asked if they’ve done enough to convince Elias and Co. to buy. “Mike and his group, they’re going to do what’s best for us and what they feel is best for the organization, the team. Our guys block out that noise and are just trying to win today, and ultimately, that was going on today. If our guys don’t have that mindset of focus on today and trying to win today, that win doesn’t happen. So for us, we’re just trying to control what we can control.”

Albernaz’s sentiment was echoed by other players, including Rogers, who said he didn’t “want to think about” the possibility that Wednesday could be his last start for the Orioles.

“If it does happen, I gave this organization everything I had, and I’m hoping that’s not the case,” he said. “I want to be here. I want to help the boys win, but I can’t control that. So, as of now, I’m getting ready for my next start for Baltimore and helping the guys win.”

Several weeks ago, Albernaz said he delivered a message to the players to do their best to block out the outside rumors surrounding the trade deadline.

What the Orioles have under their control are three more games. They welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Camden Yards for a three-game series beginning Friday. By Monday at 6 p.m., the deadline will have arrived.

Every game is important at this time of year. But with the Orioles on the fence between buying, selling or both, it’s all magnified.

If Baltimore stands pat, however, Alonso is still optimistic because of the injured players set to return. He pointed to Rutschman, catcher Samuel Basallo and right-hander Chris Bassitt as players expected to return from the injured list in the coming weeks. Infielder Blaze Alexander and right-hander Ryan Helsley could follow in or around September.

“We can go get someone. Adding would be great,” Alonso said. “But the biggest focus is, when we get pieces or when we get guys back off the IL internally, how can we keep guys on the field and win games?”

They haven’t done either at a frequent enough rate to be true buyers currently. But this weekend should conclude the speculation and set the course for the remainder of 2026.

The Orioles have not played particularly well for any extended stretch. The American League is open, though, because few others have played well, either. That leaves every option on the table ahead of the trade deadline.

“I feel like our best baseball is to come, and regardless of what the overall record looks like, being only two or 2.5 back — it doesn’t matter, I guess, how it looks," Alonso said. “The fact of the matter is we’re 2.5 games [back].”