ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have one game remaining today against the Rays before flying to Dallas and inching closer to the non-waiver trade deadline that arrives on Monday.
They're not conceding the 2017 season or the one that follows. They're not going to do a full teardown of the club like the great roster purge of 2000. They remain in the market for a starting pitcher, believing that an upgrade to the rotation could push them into the playoffs.
There's enough room for two labels on this organization. They're buyers in a competitive pitching market, but closer Zach Britton will be moved if a team like the Dodgers, Astros or Cubs comes up with a suitable package.
A Dodgers scout has been following the Orioles and is joining them in Texas this weekend.
I'm told that no offers have been presented to ownership for approval, which indicates that nothing is close to happening at the moment. There's nothing imminent.
A deal for Britton would be considered if it provided "a substantial improvement to the club," according to a source.
It isn't clear whether Britton's salary for next season increases the urgency to move him. He's making $11.4 million and has one more year remaining of arbitration eligibility. The Orioles wouldn't consider paying Jim Johnson $10 million and traded him to the Athletics. They place greater value on Britton, but how much higher would they go beyond his current figure?
The question hangs heavy in the organization and it goes unanswered.
Also, Britton can become a free agent following the 2018 season and probably will price himself out of Baltimore. There's motivation to trade him, and it could happen next year instead of next week. There's just no way to state with any certainty what the Orioles will do, only that they want to add a more reliable starting pitcher and try to make the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons. And they're not willing to "start from scratch," as one official put it, and go through some sort of five-year rebuilding plan. It's viewed as "impractical and unrealistic."
The Orioles may have slipped Kevin Gausman back on the right track, the right-hander posting back-to-back quality starts while allowing one run in 12 innings. They're trying to do the same with Ubaldo Jiménez, whose 74 earned runs allowed led the American League last night and trailed the Padres' Clayton Richard by only two.
The chances keep coming for Jiménez, who's 1-3 with a 9.95 ERA and 2.105 WHIP in four starts this month. He's logged only 19 innings.
Jiménez offered up one of his good starts back on June 18 against the Cardinals, the kind that convince the Orioles that he might get on the type of roll that he sustained last September. He allowed only two runs in seven innings for his second win of the season. But the Rays were next, and they worked him for nine runs in only 2 1/3 innings at Tropicana Field, where they meet again this afternoon.
The Rays disposed of Jiménez after only 3 1/3 innings on April 24, scoring three runs on three hits and five walks in a 6-3 win at Camden Yards.
"They hit the ball good and that's the only thing," he said. "That happens in baseball. You have good games and you have bad games."
Jiménez is 5-3 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.331 WHIP in 10 career starts against the Rays. He's 2-3 with a 6.67 ERA and 1.553 WHIP in five starts at The Trop, with 21 runs allowed in 28 1/3 innings.
Logan Morrison is 6-for-11 with two doubles, a triple and a home run against Jiménez. Trevor Plouffe is 2-for-16 with nine strikeouts, Brad Miller is 2-for-14 and Corey Dickerson is 2-for-11 with a home run.
Left-handers are batting .301 against Jiménez this season and right-handers are hitting .268. He's carrying a 7.19 ERA in 20 games this season, including 7.82 in 15 starts and 4.32 in five relief appearances.
"I don't think I can put more pressure on myself than what I already do every five days," he said. "Of course, I want to win. I want to compete and I want to be there for the team, so I think that's enough pressure. I try not to think too much about that. I just go out there and I made some adjustments and hopefully I'll be ready to go."
The fan criticism grows louder, the demands for the team to release him reaching peak volume. Jiménez isn't listening.
"I don't even pay attention to it," he said. "The only thing I think about is trying to improve and get better for my next one."
I'll write again that this isn't a money issue with ownership. The Orioles can go down that road if they choose to do it.
Rays right-hander Alex Cobb is going the opposite direction from Jiménez, with three runs or fewer allowed in seven of his last eight starts. However, the Orioles provided the exception on July 2 with six earned runs (seven total) in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-1 victory at Camden Yards. Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo homered.
In 10 career starts against the Orioles, Cobb has gone 4-2 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.210 WHIP over 60 1/3 innings and allowed only four home runs. Trumbo is 5-for-15 with two doubles and a home run and Caleb Joseph is 4-for-10. Chris Davis is 2-for-18 with a triple and seven strikeouts and Machado is 3-for-20 with two home runs.
Cobb's carrying reverse splits, with left-handers batting .226 against him and right-handers batting .265. He's 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and a 0.970 WHIP in eight home starts, and 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA and 1.367 WHIP in 12 road starts.