It’s not just that the bats have become cold in the Baltimore Orioles—so has the patience.

The Orioles, once the darlings of the AL East, now find themselves in a precarious situation. They are sitting at the bottom of the division at 13-20. The only teams that have fewer wins than them are the Chicago White Sox, the Pirates, and the Rockies. This isn’t the type of company Baltimore had been dreaming of keeping. Not exactly at this time of the month.

Last year’s late-season drought seems to have spilled right into even this season. Several players who once sparked fears in their competitors are even struggling to get on base. The lineup, as a result, is pin-drop quiet. And with every missed opportunity, the whispers of “Is it time to fire Brandon Hyde?” are growing stronger. And while some may oppose the idea, former GM Jim Bowden is all for making a mid-season change.

Jim Bowden didn’t mince his words—he called for the Orioles to shake things up. Talking about whether GMs like such changes, he said, “My answer is that GMs don’t like to fire managers mid-season….But if you make a change and the team doesn’t go in a better direction, then it’s on the GM, not on the manager. There are some times when a different voice is needed.” Bowden also made it clear that it’s not about him disrespecting Hyde, who even led the Baltimore Orioles to back-to-back appearances in the playoffs.

But he said, “I respect him, but I don’t like what I’m seeing. Sometimes it takes a different voice to make an impact.” And according to him, Hyde can always start afresh in a new place. Several managers had been fired, and they went on to become Hall of Fame managers. Now he is not alone in thinking so; even David Samson at CBS agrees and thinks David Rubenstein, the new owner, has to move on. “There is something going on in Baltimore that you can’t accept,” Samson said. But while they are all for the change, some, like FOX Sports analyst A.J. Pierzynski, have summed it up best: “Does firing him change anything? It’s the same people; it’s the same position players.”

Well, that’s the million-dollar question. Would a new manager just fix something in them? And sure, there are the same people and the same position players—but what if there is a trade?

Can a trade solve the Baltimore Orioles’ issues?

The Baltimore Orioles’ current record isn’t just the result of one mess. Several hitters are not doing their best, and this has led to quiet nights. But then here is the kicker—the lineup now is too talented to remain quiet forever. They are going to heat up. But the same cannot be said about the pitching. It’s a whole different conversation, and not a positive one. The bullpen is strong, but the problem is they haven’t had many leads to protect because the starting rotation hasn’t held its end of the bargain.

Baltimore’s off-season moves didn’t do nearly as well to calm things, and it is showing. Charlie Morton has already moved to the bullpen. Kyle Gibson got shelled by the New York Yankees in his debut. Tomoyuki Sugano has been good, but no one expected him to lead now. Did they?

The rotation is the biggest need for attention. Jim Bowden of the Athletic floated the idea of a trade with the Minnesota Twins. For him, the Baltimore Orioles should go after Joe Ryan. He is a right-hander with ace potential, and he asked the O’s to give up Cade Povich, Coby Mayo, and Michael Forret in exchange. Sure, it’s a bold ask, but Bowden thinks Ryan is exactly what the Orioles need. If they, of course, want to compete in the AL East and get back to October gameplay.

Truthfully, the numbers on Ryan are not bad: a 2.93 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 40 innings, and a 0.900 WHIP. He is also under team control through 2027. So they could get a long-term piece.

Do you think the Orioles would be interested in him? Let us know in the comments.