Mark was starting to wonder if the Orioles would ever give out a contract extension to anyone and they finally did it, going for young catcher Samuel Basallo. In this episode, considering the cases for some other Orioles who are or might have once been good candidates, plus Mark's current minimum goal for this team's win total.

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Mark went on vacation for a few days and that's when Mike Elias struck with the Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo call-ups. Some things have gone better with the Orioles in August, particularly in the rotation. Will all of this be enough to build some excitement for 2026?

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When you get down to it, a team that disappoints as hard as the Orioles have done in 2025 should be bending over backwards to keep fans in the fold. Instead, the Orioles are implementing aggressive season ticket plan changes that may act to drive away a lot of old 13-game holders. Mark is quite unhappy about the decisions.

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After a weekend series in which the Orioles scored eight runs and got twelve hits across three games, with the brutal hitting (and sometimes fielding) outfield situation still present, Mark is feeling like it's a real grim march to follow the team right now. Good chance to check in on the teams the Orioles traded guys to in July.

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Watching a bunch of guys who have no business being near an MLB mound get blown out in Philadelphia has not filled Mark with excitement for next season. The Orioles have chosen this time to send out season ticket info where it seems like they're squeezing fans yet again. It's not great! In the mailbag, another lament about a lack of Orioles contract extensions.

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The Orioles traded two outfielders away at the trade deadline, so you'd think that means they're calling up their hot-hitting AAA outfielder Dylan Beavers. Instead, Mike Elias has Jordyn Adams and Dylan Carlson on the roster and had Jeremiah Jackson playing OF in Chicago. Mark is grumpy about this. In the mailbag, assessing pitching depth and Elias's 2026 outlook.

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Mike Elias was a busy, busy man ahead of the trade deadline, which made for a busy, busy week for your Orioles podcaster/blogger. Mark breaks down each of the many individual trades and tries to look at all of them as a group to see what the O's outlook is for the rest of the season and hopefully for the future with this group.

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There are three days to go until the trade deadline and unless Mike Elias made late night trades after this recording, the Orioles have only dealt two guys in July. Mark is anxious to get the dealing over with so everyone can start to look towards building the best possible 2026 O's team.

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Mark is feeling both excited and anxious about the fact that the Orioles roster is headed for a period of turnover across the next week, between trades coming and rehabs that will wrap up. Maybe it'll turn out well? Plus, looking at the changes to O's prospect lists as various publications update for the middle of the season.

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The Orioles did not start a miracle winning streak right out of the All-Star break, so it's settled: They're sellers. With ten days to the deadline, Mark tries to read recent Mike Elias tea leaves to figure out if post-2026 free agents are on the table. From the mailbag, a listener asks if a prospect is promoted after the trade deadline, is the rest of the season enough time to prove himself?

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