Orioles 22-year-old former first overall pick given 40% chance of being traded originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Baltimore Orioles are sitting on the outside looking in for the AL Wild Card this season, though they’re only 1.5 games back of a spot. But that position in the postseason hunt has resulted in a bit of an odd situation.
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The 54-56 Orioles, entering Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, might end up selling at the trade deadline. Taylor Ward and other rentals make sense, but Adley Rutschman might be on the move, too.
However, the more surprising player who, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, has a 40% chance of being traded this summer is 22-year-old infielder and former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday.
“19. Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles. Chance of being traded: 40%,” Passan and McDaniel project. “… Since the All-Star break, he is hitting over .400, and though the slug hasn’t arrived, Holliday is still just 22 and would likely be flipped for pitching.”
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Holliday is just 22 years old and would be one of the youngest players to make their big league debut, and could be traded this summer.
A 40% chance of seeing Holliday get traded is surprisingly high. A few players who have a lower chance of being dealt this summer include Mason Miller (20%), CJ Abrams (20%), Jeremy Pena (25%), Hunter Goodman (20%), and Reid Detmers (35%).
All of those other players have been frequently brought up as potential trade targets for contenders this season, while Holliday really has not been a talked-about trade target.
And yet, ESPN projects his odds of being traded to be 40%, which are fairly high, all things considered. He’s just 22 years old, under club control through 2030, and has shown some promise during his career.
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In just 58 games this season, Holliday has 0.9 bWAR with five home runs, 20 RBIs, a .261 batting average with a .768 OPS, and a 118 OPS+.
He hasn’t turned into a superstar, but he’s still 22 years old. Most players at that age haven’t even made it to the Majors. This is already his third different season in the big leagues. He’s still young and could turn into a star very quickly.
Sure, the Orioles could get a lot for him in a trade. They’re reportedly seeking pitching upgrades in return. But, to trade Holliday now might be moving on too quickly before a breakout season from the son of Matt Holliday.
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Holliday, having a 40% chance of being traded according to ESPN, seems a bit too high. But, it appears Orioles fans should be on the lookout for a Holliday trade, as his odds of being traded are even higher than Rutschman’s at 35%.
