Did the Orioles make a mistake by trading Tyler Wells? | MAILBAG

Question: It seems to me Mike Elias is not committed to winning now and is always trading the present for the future. Take the Tyler Wells trade. I’m sorry but feel strongly that trading your best reliever to a division rival for a prospect who won’t be major-league ready for two-to-three years when only a game out of a playoff spot is a huge betrayal of the fan base.

To do this considering that the Orioles led the majors in blown saves really is infuriating. If the Orioles had kept Wells they probably would have beaten out the White Sox or Guardians for a wild-card spot. I have no problem with that trade happening in the offseason, but the timing was terrible.  Your thoughts? From: Brad Schwartz

Answer: Brad, I am a big fan of Tyler Wells, both personally and professionally, and the trade surprised me because he was still another year away from free agency. On August 3^rd, when the trade was made, the Orioles were 54-58, and were 2 ½ games behind Cleveland for the last wild-card spot. They were tied with Detroit and also trailed Minnesota, Seattle and Texas.

They were 25-24 after the trade deadline and finished 4 ½ games behind Chicago for the last spot.

The Orioles did not lead the majors in blown saves. They had 22, which was 18th. The Washington Nationals led baseball with 42.

Wells pitched very well for Tampa Bay, going 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA and two saves, but he appeared in only five games in September and didn’t pitch after September 12^th due to right forearm tightness. I don’t see how the Orioles with Wells could have picked up the five wins necessary to make the postseason, especially since he was out for the last two weeks of the regular season.

The pitcher they got in return for Wells was Michael Forret, and they think he could be a starter sometime in 2027. He’s ranked as the 10^th-best prospect in their organization. I realize that prospects are chancy, and I would have liked Wells, but I think you’re inflating his value.

Question: Do you think the relatively small payrolls of the Brewers, Rays, and Guardians and their success this year will have an impact on the labor negotiations? It shows that smart management can lead to winning despite the odds.

In general, I’m not sympathetic to the rich owners and understand why players resist a salary cap. Unfortunately, it appears that the owners are digging in for a fight. Finding a way to increase competition among teams while allowing the franchises to be profitable without allowing the owners to reap huge financial benefits seems to me to be in the best interest of the sport. From: Jim Becker

Answer: Jim, I don’t think that a Brewers-Rays World Series will affect the negotiations at all. The owners believe that the playing field favors the larger teams, and that this is an aberration. The players want the smaller-market teams to spend more on players.

I also think that smart management is the key to success, though larger-market teams do have an advantage in keeping teams together.

Public opinion doesn’t matter in this fight. Most fans don’t want to read about labor and just want the season not to be disrupted.

It’s going to be a long, messy fight, but eventually there will be a settlement, and hopefully the 2027 season won’t be affected much.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.