The Orioles have been one of the best teams in the majors this season. At the all-star break, they have a record of 58-38 in first place in the AL East. What makes this more impressive is that everyone considers the AL East the toughest division in baseball. With stars like Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman, and Gunnar Henderson, the Orioles have the talent to go far. However, some upgrades still need to be made. Also, with a deep farm system, there aren’t many teams that can outbid them. However a question has emerged, will the Orioles be willing to move top prospect Jackson Holliday?
Holliday was the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. It didn’t take long for him to shoot up the prospect rankings. Described as one the best pure-hitting prospects with above-average speed, he seemed like the next superstar. It also doesn’t hurt that he is the son of former MLB all-star Matt Holliday. Yet, would the smarter move for Baltimore be to move Holliday and go all in on this season?
Pros of Moving Holliday
Although this season has been good for the Orioles, this roster has one major weakness. That is at starting pitcher. Sure they have one of the best pitchers in the game in Burnes, but outside of that, there are a lot of question marks. Grayson Rodriquez is currently listed as the second starter. However, he’s only there due to injuries. The Orioles currently have three starters on the 60-day IL. Rodriquez is a solid starter, but not someone you want to start in game two of a playoff series. They also have two starters who have an ERA close to five.
So it’s clear that if the Orioles want to make a deep run in the postseason, they’ll have to bring in a reliable starter behind Burnes. Someone like Tyler Anderson of the Angels or Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. Both of them would give the rotation much-needed stability. Both these pitchers won’t come cheap. However, if Holliday was included, it would go a long way in getting the deal done. It might be enough to get the deal done on its own.
Although Holliday is one of the best prospects in baseball, the Orioles have enough prospect and young talent that it wouldn’t be that big of a loss. Plus, with how Holliday has struggled in the bigs, it’s not guaranteed that Holliday will be a major contributor to the core.
Cons of Moving Him
Although Holliday has struggled at the big league level, it was a small sample size. He only played ten games at the big league level, getting 34 at-bats. That is not enough time for someone to make all the adjustments needed to succeed at the big league level. Because of this, it’s still fair to call Holliday one of the most exciting prospects in all of baseball. It’s also fair to assume that he can become the generational talent we all expected him to.
When you have a prospect like this you don’t give up on them. You do everything in your power to hold on to them. Plus if Holliday can figure out the struggles and become a star, the Orioles would have a core that’ll help them win for years. He, Rutschman, and Henderson will make the Orioles one of the best teams in baseball for years to come.
Even if the Orioles still want to upgrade their pitching this season, they can do it without moving Holliday. There are plenty of reasonable starters like Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi that can be got without having to give up Holliday.
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