Going into the season, the Baltimore Orioles knew that their starting pitching would be an issue. The question wasn't whether or not they'd need to add more at the trade deadline, but whether or not what they had to open the year would be enough to hold down the fort and remain in contention until reinforcements could be added in July.
One such player who seemed like an ideal target was Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, which cost him his entire 2024 campaign. The Miami Marlins, always willing to deal major-league talent, preferred to wait until the deadline to obtain maximum value for the talented 29-year-old hurler.