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Have you had enough of Bud Norris trade rumors for now? If you thought that one was bad, try this on for size:
Orioles are actively pursuing both Mike Morse and Oliver Perez of the #Mariners today, accdg to a source. Would like a combo deal.
— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) July 31, 2013
Nothing says trade deadline desperation like being linked to a combination deal involving a pair of 31-year olds. Morse, a right-handed hitter, could be what the Orioles are looking for in the sense that he actually hits against left-handed pitching. Over his career, he has a .873 OPS against lefties and this year he has a .958 OPS in his action against lefties.
Perez is a left-handed reliever who has struck out 52 batters in 38.1 innings this season, which is good for helping to power him to a 2.35 ERA. The last time he had a K/9 over 9 was in 2004, so I'm sure this season isn't a complete fluke and there's no way he's due for any regression over the final 20 or so innings that he will throw in 2013. That last part was sarcasm. Perez also has an 89.9 LOB% (very high), a 28.3% ground ball rate (very low) and a 3.99 BB/9 to go along with all of those strikeouts.
Is Perez an upgrade over Troy Patton? Probably. Are he and Morse worth whatever it would take to get them from the Mariners? Connolly adds that a prospect like Eduardo Rodriguez "might have to be considered". That for a pair of 31-year old rentals. This would not be an encouraging direction to see the Orioles go in.
For the second straight year, in the trading period's waning hours, I find myself cringing at every possible deal that the Orioles are linked to. There is no point in trading just to make a trade. Morse is probably better than L.J. Hoes, but then again, he just got over an injury.
As for relievers: don't give up anything for two months of a reliever. Dan Duquette has already done this once when he traded Nick Delmonico for Francisco Rodriguez. If he goes to that well again, that will be disappointing to see.