One way or another, the Orioles are going to decide whether they are buyers or sellers by the end of this month. Perhaps they will come to the conclusion that many of you have already reached, or maybe Mike Elias will double down on this team’s diminishing playoff odds. Either way, the decision will not happen overnight.
The organization should be constantly taking stock of the team and each position group. The front office knows that the bullpen needs help. It’s aware that the rotation is trending
upward and that the infield misses Jordan Westburg. But what about the outfield? I’d love to ask Mike Elias to evaluate the group’s performance this season and his expectations moving forward.
The unit can be broken up into players born in the 20th and 21st century. Taylor Ward has been an everyday player this year after coming over from the Angels. The 32-year-old has experienced a power outage but is less than 10 walks away from his career high. Ward has emerged as a decent table setter, and the free-agent-to-be has contributed more in Baltimore than Grayson Rodriguez has provided in LA.
The Orioles signed Leody Taveras to a one-year, $2-million deal early in the offseason. Despite his major league deal, it was never a guarantee that Taveras would break camp with the team. The 27-year-old made the team as a backup outfielder but proceeded to slash .288/.397/.455 over the first month of the season. Taveras temporarily became an everyday player when Colton Cowser got off to a hot start, and he remains a serviceable fourth or fifth outfielder.
The same cannot be said for Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill has managed to stay relatively healthy this season while reaching a new level of disappointment. The man signed to hit lefties holds a .184 batting average and a .141 average against southpaws.
O’Neill has become a symbol of Elias’s recent failures. The Orioles waited and waited to sign a player to a multi-year deal before settling on this guy. At the end of the day, O’Neill only has his contract and some general stubbornness from the general manager to thank for his spot on this team.
Cowser slashed .186/.269/.220 over his first 26 games while struggling to make contact with offspeed pitches. The Milk Man eventually snapped out of his funk with four homers in May and four more in June. The former first round pick has yet to reach the offensive potential that he displayed during his rookie season, but his quality outfield defense has marked one of the only bright spots on that side of the ball.
Cowser clearly has the chops to play center field. He may never hit for a high average, but his .317 on-base percentage is only four points below the number he posted in 2024. The former Player’s Choice for the AL’s Most Outstanding Rookie has played his way back into an everyday role and could be poised for a strong second half.
The Orioles waited to promote Dylan Beavers last season because they believed he had at least a slim chance to compete for a rookie award this season. Beavers fell out of the running early when he suffered a strained oblique back in mid May. Now healthy, Beavers is looking to build on his reputation of getting on base.
Beavers, the 33rd-overall pick in the 2022 draft, entered last night’s game slashing .222/.313/.342. He posted a 119 OPS+ over 35 games last fall, but his numbers are only good for an 86 OPS+ so far this year. Baseball development is non-linear, and Beavers is still settling back in after rejoining the Orioles at the end of June.
The Orioles could deal Ward if they decide to sell. There’s a chance the team holds on to the future free agent and extends him a qualifying offer at the end of the year, but his Baltimore tenure could end early if a team is willing to part with some value.
The same cannot be said for O’Neill. The former Cardinal still has a year remaining on his albatros of a contract, and it’s unlikely that any team would be willing to take on that deal. Even if Baltimore expressed a willingness to eat the money, O’Neill’s presence would represent a regression for almost every roster in the league.
The Orioles will have a hole to address in the outfield this offseason, but how they feel about the position group could hinge on Cowser and Beavers taking a step in the right direction.
Beavers can play center field in a pinch, but he’s a far cry from Cowser in the outfield. His value will likely depend on his ability to get on base while continuing to add some power.
The Orioles could eventually make room for a pair of outfielders currently at Triple-A. The hype has simmered for Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr., but both players are healthy and suiting up for the Tides. Kjerstad entered last night’s game slashing .288/.316/.442 over 41 games at Norfolk, and Bradfield Jr. is slashing .258/.323/.342 with 15 stolen bases in 34 appearances.
Either player developing into a quality major leaguer would represent a massive win at this stage. Both players are flawed but possess valuable skills that can translate at the next level.
Ward—and even Taveras under the right circumstance—could call another city home by the end of the month. Even if the team refuses to sell, the Orioles will still look to Cowser and Beavers for production in the second half. A few young outfielders taking another step in the right direction could represent a high point of an otherwise disappointing season.
