The Baltimore Orioles have been crippled by their pitching staff this season.

Still, they’re only six games out of an American League Wild Card spot despite being nine games under .500.

While the Orioles might not be aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, they could still look to acquire a controllable talent who could boost their roster for years to come.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden linked the Orioles to a trade for Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara.

Bowden predicted the Orioles would trade top prospect Samuel Basallo, pitcher Cade Povich, and outfielder Heston Kjerstad to the Marlins to acquire the former Cy Young winner.

“The Orioles desperately need an ace, and Alcantara, if he continues to pitch well, could be a great fit – plus he’s under team control through 2027,” Bowden wrote. “Alcantara has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last three starts.

“There have also been positive signs with his stuff and command, despite his subpar overall numbers (6.88 ERA, 1.47 WHIP), as the former Cy Young Award winner gets more comfortable in his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery. Obviously, the prospect price for Alcantara, if he’s right, will be huge, which is reflected in this trade proposal.”

The Orioles could really benefit from adding Alcántara to their roster, but the proposed package is too much to give up in return.

Povich might not be an ace, but he seems like a talented backend starter. Kjerstad doesn’t seem like a star either, but he’s not an afterthought by any means.

The main loss would be Basallo, who’s one of the best prospects in baseball.

Still, the Orioles could and should pursue a trade for the Marlins’ ace. If they can add him without losing a ridiculous prospect haul, they’ll be in a great spot moving forward.