A year ago, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias made the determination that he had to aggressively trade and try to salvage something from one of the most disappointing seasons in Baltimore baseball.
This year, the team’s direction isn’t as clear. They’re 3 ½ games out of the final wild-card spot but haven’t shown any consistency.
In July 2025, Elias made eight trades, sending nine players away. Even if the Orioles sell ahead of the August 3rd trade deadline, it probably won’t be as radical as the remake of last year.
With that in mind, let’s review the deals and what the Orioles received.
July 10th-Baker to Rays
Elias’ most unexpected deal was his first, sending right-handed reliever Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays for a competitive balance round pick.
Baker has lived up to his nickname, the outmaker, by earning a place on the American League All-Star team.
The Orioles selected Oregon high school outfielder Slater de Brun, whom they traded along with three other prospects and a draft pick to the Rays for right-handed starter Shane Baz.
de Brun has yet to play a professional game.
July 25th-Soto to Mets
The Baker deal was completed ahead of the amateur draft, but the selloff began in earnest when left-handed reliever Gregory Soto went to the New York Mets for right-handed pitchers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster.
Aracena was flipped to the Arizona Diamondbacks along with right-hander Kade Strowd and infielder José Mejia for utility player Blaze Alexander.
Alexander has filled in brilliantly, primarily at third base, hitting .310 with a .798 OPS, three home runs and 28 RBIs.
Foster, who had a 9.00 ERA in six games for the Orioles earlier this season, is on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured list with a right shoulder injury.
Mejia is hitting .264 with a .792 OPS, four home runs and 35 RBIs at two levels of the Diamondbacks while Aracena is 2-2 with a 4.42 ERA for High-A Hillsboro.
Strowd, who had a 1.71 ERA in 25 games for the Orioles, has appeared in only one game for Arizona.
Soto, who signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent, is 5-2 with a 4.46 ERA and 11 saves.
July 28th-Domínguez to Blue Jays
In between games of a doubleheader with Toronto, the Orioles traded reliever Seranthony Domínguez and cash to the Blue Jays for right-hander Juaron-Watts Brown.
Dominguez pitched against the Orioles in the second game of the doubleheader. He’s with the Chicago White Sox and is 3-3 with a 4.85 with 12 saves.
Watts-Brown, MLB Pipeline’s No. 14 prospect, is 1-7 with a 6.75 ERA for Double-A Chesapeake.
July 31st-Urías to Astros
The Orioles traded utility infielder Ramón Urías to the Houston Astros for right-hander Twine Palmer. Urías broke up Brandon Young’s bid for a perfect game on August 15th but was not offered a contract by the Astros and signed with St. Louis.
Urías is on the 60-day injured list with a right elbow injury and has just 57 at-bats for the Cardinals, hitting .158 with two home runs and five RBIs.
Palmer is 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA and two saves in 15 games for High-A Frederick.
July 31st-Kittredge to Cubs
Right-hander Andrew Kittredge was traded to the Chicago Cubs for teenaged shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz. The 18-year-old is hitting .210 with two home runs and 17 RBIs for the Florida Complex League Orioles.
After the season, the Cubs sold Kittredge back to the Orioles, and he’s 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA and a save.
July 31st-Mullins to Mets
The Orioles traded centerfielder Cedric Mullins to the Mets for right-handers Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez and Chandler Marsh.
Mullins, who hit only .182 for the Mets, signed with Tampa Bay and, entering Monday’s game, was hitting .213 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs and .646 OPS.
Nunez is back with the Orioles after a brief stay at Norfolk and is 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA and three saves.
Gomez has pitched in 10 games for the Florida Complex League Orioles and Frederick and has a 9.00 ERA.
Marsh is 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA and two saves for the Keys.
July 31st-Morton to Tigers
At 41, Charlie Morton had a rough year with the Orioles, going 7-8 with a 5.47 ERA. The Orioles offloaded him to the Detroit Tigers, who released him after nine starts and a 7.09 ERA. After a final start with the Atlanta Braves, Morton retired.
In return for Morton, the Orioles received left-handed Micah Ashman from the Tigers. Ashman, who pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, is 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA and three saves for Chesapeake.
July 31st-O’Hearn, Laureano to Padres
In the biggest trade of the month, Elias sent Ryan O’Hearn, who was the starting designated hitter for the American League in last July’s All-Star Game, and outfielder Ramón Laureano, who had an excellent half-season, to the San Diego Padres for six minor leaguers.
Four are among the Orioles’ Top 30 prospects: Left-hander Boston Bateman (9th) and right-hander Tyson Neighbors (15th), infielder Cobb Hightower (29th) and utilityman Brandon Butterworth (30th).
They also received first baseman Victor Figueroa and right-hander Tanner Smith.
Bateman is 3-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 15 games for Frederick. He’s struck out 79 batters and walked 33 in 61 1/3 innings.
Neighbors has a 12.18 ERA in 16 games with the Keys and Baysox.
Hightower, who’s missed much of the season because of a shoulder injury, is hitting .340 with four RBIs in 13 games for Single-A Delmarva while Butterworth, who’s on the 7-day injured list, is hitting .242 with a .787 OPS with four home runs and seven RBIs in 25 games at Chesapeake.
Figueroa is hitting .269 with a .939 OPS with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs at Frederick.
Marsh is 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA and two saves in 25 games for Frederick.
O’Hearn finished the season with the Padres and signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh. He’s hitting .284 with an .807 OPS, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.
Laureano had surgery to repair a torn labrum on his right hip and could miss the rest of the season. He hit .203 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs and a .660 OPS.
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