“It could be Jackson Holliday” - MLB analyst speculates the Orioles could send their top minor league player at the trade deadline
Jackson Holliday is the Baltimore Orioles top prospect and even though his first stint in the majors didn't go as expected, his minor league performance is there for everyone to see. Trading him at the deadline would be an unusual move but that's what one analyst has suggested.
Chris Rose was in conversation with Trevor Plouffe on his podcast when he mentioned trading Holliday for a top starting arm like Tarik Skubal. Plouffe brought up Holliday's name after journalist Tom Verducci reported that the Dodgers and the Orioles were ready to present offers to the Detroit Tigers for Skubal.
"A lot of people are asking what the biggest name to be traded and I said it might be a guy that's in the minor leagues right now, it could be Jackson Holliday," Plouffe said. "I don't know where a prospect like Jackson, who's mightily struggled the big leagues, is. If I'm a team, I'm taking the proven big leaguer every single time."
Rose went on to affirm the point, saying that the Orioles would be better off having a guy on their pitching rotation rather than someone on the prospect list behind the likes of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.
In his first stint in the majors, Holliday went 2-for-34 in his first 10 games with the Orioles. After seeing him struggle, the Orioles sent him back to the minors, and he has yet to receive another call-up.
Jackson Holliday is rumored to be 'untouchable' in Tarik Skubal attempt by Orioles
Despite strong sentiment to have Jackson Holliday traded, a report from FanSided said the Orioles' top prospect is "untouchable" and that the Orioles can still pull out a trade for the Tigers' Tarik Skubal without involving him.
As per the same report, Samuel Basallo, the 12th-ranked prospect, coupled with players like Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, and Seth Johnson, could be enough for the Tigers to trade their top arm to the AL East team.
The Orioles could use Skubal's service as they go toe-to-toe in their rivalry with the New York Yankees in the division. Skubal has gone 10-3, posting a 2.41 ERA in 116.0 innings and recording 140 strikeouts.