Mike Elias didn’t take the bait.
He could have. He could have noticed the flukey nature of this season and expanded playoff field, and thought this was the time to strike. He could have seen the Orioles’ hotter-than-expected start to the season, and decided to toss patience to the side to chase the dream of a playoff run.
He could have done that. He didn’t. And it was the right move.
Any question about how the Orioles would approach the trade deadline was answered over the weekend and then again on Monday. Gone are Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro, the team’s best power arms out of the bullpen.