The Baltimore Orioles entered the 2025 MLB season with high hopes—armed with a revamped roster and dreams of a deep postseason run. But fast forward to today, and the team sits at a disappointing 20-24, battered by injuries and struggling to find its footing. Now, as the trade deadline approaches, one glaring need has emerged, and it's a painful reminder of an offseason that simply didn't deliver.

According to Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, the Orioles' top priority at the trade deadline is starting pitching. And not just any arm—they're reportedly in the market for a frontline ace. "The starting rotation has been a trainwreck," Miller writes, noting that 10 different pitchers have combined for a 5.04 ERA and just 10 quality starts all season. That's not the kind of stability you expect from a team that spent big this winter.

Baltimore's offseason was supposed to fix this exact problem. They swung a blockbuster trade for Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays and signed veteran Chris Bassitt to a lucrative deal. But the results have been brutal. Baz owns a 5.48 ERA with a 1-4 record and zero quality starts. Bassitt hasn't fared much better, posting a 5.21 ERA with just two quality starts in his outings. Meanwhile, Trevor Rogers (5.77 ERA) has been one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball, while Kyle Bradish (4.21 ERA) and Brandon Young (4.15 ERA) have offered only modest relief.

For a team that invested heavily in its rotation, seeing starting pitching emerge as the top trade deadline need is a clear sign of an offseason gone wrong. The Orioles failed to land that true ace, and now they're scrambling to find one before the deadline. It's a costly mistake that could define their season—and their future.

Whether they can patch things up in time remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Baltimore's trade deadline shopping list is a direct reflection of an offseason that didn't live up to the hype.