MLB Trade Rumors: Stroman, Giolito, Flaherty Linked to Orioles amid Ohtani Buzz

The Baltimore Orioles have established themselves as clear buyers prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline given their American League-best 62-38 record, and there's no shortage of names linked to them right now.

Starting pitching appears to be a big priority, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported Tuesday that a trio of right-handers (Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs, Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox and Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals) have all been linked to the O's.

"The Orioles have the best record in the American League (62-38) and are buyers this year at the deadline. They are focused on acquiring an impact starting pitcher and have been linked to all the best names who could be available, from Marcus Stroman to Lucas Giolito to Jack Flaherty, among others."

This is in addition to the Orioles' reported interest in Los Angeles Angels superstar slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani. Per MLB.com's Jon Morosi, the O's and Arizona Diamondbacks are two teams who have inquired about acquiring him.

Morosi added that the interest from both "has been described as due diligence," but noted the O's and D'backs "have the young talent base conducive to making a trade."

As good as the Orioles have been, their starting rotation could use some reinforcements. Per FanGraphs, Baltimore's starter ERA is 4.51, or 16th in MLB.

Stroman, a 10-year MLB veteran, has enjoyed the best season of the trio. He has gone 10-7 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. The 32-year-old right-hander, who earned All-Star honors for the second time this season, has also struck out 105 batters in 122.1 innings.

Flaherty has spent all seven of his MLB seasons with the Cardinals. The 27-year-old right-hander has had a bit of a down year compared to his previous performances, posting a 4.39 ERA and 1.53 WHIP thus far. He has also gone 7-6 with 102 strikeouts in 104.1 innings. For his career, Flaherty has a 3.57 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

Giolito, a 29-year-old right-hander, is in his eighth season with the White Sox. He's started 21 games and gone 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 131 strikeouts. Giolito has finished top 11 in the AL Cy Young voting three times and sports a career 9.5 K/9 rate.

All three of these pitchers currently play for below .500 teams well outside the playoff picture, so seeing any of them moved would not be a surprise. With the Orioles needing some help to bolster the starting rotation, it's certainly possible one of them ends up in Baltimore.