As the Baltimore Orioles have underwhelmed this season and look to be sellers at the deadline, they seem to be in a tough position. Some of their best chips have experienced June swoons, which are coming at the worst time.

Elsewhere, their momentum has been stunted as key cogs have either underperformed, gotten hurt, or both.

While the 35-46 record thus far in 2025 is a major disappointment, if the Orioles are smart and know their history, they can turn this year’s struggles into just a minor blip on the radar.

With foundational pieces like Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday in tow, some minor retooling at the July 31 deadline could prep the Orioles for a triumphant return in 2026.

A lot of that starts with selling off veteran pieces, particularly hitters, and using those returns to rebuild a pitching staff that ranks at the bottom of the league in ERA, coming in 27th with a 4.90 mark through June 27.

One such veteran slugger is beginning to generate a lot of buzz, and his departure now feels like a near-lock at the deadline.

Orioles slugger Ryan O’Hearn seems like a lock to be dealt at the trade deadline

The good news for the Orioles is that it is an absolute seller’s market at the deadline.

So many teams still have eyes on contending, from surprises like the Los Angeles Angels, to expected contenders like the injury-ravaged Arizona Diamondbacks, to the old guard like the Boston Red Sox.

That means there are more buyers than sellers, and the law of supply and demand reigns supreme. For Baltimore, they’re sitting on a valuable piece of treasure with 1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn.

Clubs that need a bat or two are plentiful, and bats that can produce from the left side are scarce.

That’s why O’Hearn’s career year, which has seen him post a .301/.384/.485/149 wRC+ line couldn’t have come at a better time.

While he’s not a wizard with the glove, O’Hearn can fill a hole at first base or either corner outfield spot while also putting in work at DH.

That versatility will further broaden his appeal on the open market.

Some picture-perfect fits for O’Hearn could be the Houston Astros, who have zero quality left-handed bats on their roster with Yordan Alvarez on the shelf, and a need to jumpstart their production at first base as Christian Walker disappoints.

The division rival Red Sox, assuming they can rally in the coming weeks, might be another option.

While it may feel strange to see them as buyers following the earth-shattering Rafael Devers trade, that deal was more about culture conflicts than a desire to drop out of the race.

Now, without Devers and lacking a replacement for first baseman Triston Casas, O’Hearn would check off two boxes for them by providing lefty pop and a solution to their first base conundrum.

With a reasonable salary for the remainder of the year and an expiring contract, other smaller market contenders could jump into the fray as well. Carlos Santana hasn’t worked out super well in his third return to Cleveland, while Seattle recently cut ties with disappointing lefty-swinging first baseman Rowdy Tellez.

With those and others potentially in the mix, Baltimore could find a nice little bidding war on their hands, giving them a prime opportunity to swap O’Hearn’s expiring contract for young, cost-controlled pitching to fix their staff moving forward.