Boston is riding high, looking to continue its 10-game winning streak and avoid snagging their championship dreams. However, they are now scrambling to fill gaps at first base with Triston Casas and Hunter Dobbins sidelined for the season. And they believe they have found a great fit. Interestingly, they have also matched with the seller. But there’s this huge issue: the sellers are their NLE rivals, Baltimore Orioles. And historically, extending a helping hand to rivals has not produced the best of results. Still, desperation is high on both ends. And Ryan O’Hearn seems to be the one to solve it all.

For the past three seasons, the Baltimore Orioles have been flirting with the postseason. Despite winning the NLE title in 2023, they have struck out of the playoffs in both the previous seasons. Still, while they did not make much of a splash in the offseason, their hopes remained high. In March, Catcher Adley Rutschman even wished, “Our goal is to go as far as we can and win a World Series.” However, the 15-28 beginning to the season has proven lethal.

Even entering the All-Star break, they were last with a 43-52 record, 7.5 games behind the wild-card spot. So, going into the second half, GM Mike Elias has his work cut out to be a seller before July 31’s MLB trade deadline. Yet, the $3.5M star that the Red Sox are targeting and the Orioles are okay to cut ties with, isn’t exactly riding the rumor train just yet. Wanting to “cross that bridge when we get there,” he has already shown his loyalty to the O’s. And he has returned to do that once again, spoiling Red Sox’s wishes.

Recently, O’Hearn spoke with WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast to set his vision straight. “It can be challenging, the way that you know the media is today. It just seems like there’s no hiding from anything. Seems like rumors fly, and everyone sees them and things like that. But I’ve kind of challenged our guys (to) just stay away as much as possible. I want to show up every day and play for the Baltimore Orioles.”

He hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the psychological toll of modern baseball’s rumor mill either. But he has become one of the most coveted players on the trade market. And just like he stated during his All-Star media availability, he repeated his goal is to help Baltimore with “a miraculous” turnaround.

“We’ve talked about it like trying to stay together as a team. And it’s a great group of guys. I’ve been there the last few years and we have a great group who enjoy playing together. We had a brutal start to the season, and we’ve been slowly digging our way out of that hole ever since.”

Since the Orioles acquired him from Kansas City in 2023, he’s transformed from a roster afterthought into a cornerstone player, calling his arrival “without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Baltimore’s recent decision to pick up his $8 million team option for 2025 seemed like a vote of confidence in his future.

But with the Orioles sitting at 43-52 and potentially shifting into seller mode, O’Hearn’s heartfelt loyalty may not be enough to keep him in black and orange past July 31st. His expiring contract fits the bill for the Orioles despite his performance this season. This season, O’Hearn has a .286/.378/.462 slash line. With 11 home runs, he also has an .840 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this year.

However, if Baltimore doesn’t wish to part ways with the slugger, Red Sox can take a different route.

Red Sox might go after the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly

Kelly’s postseason experience might be exactly what the Red Sox need to push them over the edge. The veteran right-hander isn’t just another rental; he’s a proven commodity who thrives under pressure. Kelly’s 2023 playoff performance with Arizona tells the whole story– a 2.63 ERA across four postseason starts during the Diamondbacks’ unexpected World Series run. That’s the kind of clutch gene you simply can’t teach younger pitchers.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for both sides either. Arizona sits well below .500 and appears ready to sell veteran pieces, while Boston desperately needs someone who can step into their rotation immediately. Kelly’s experience in the National League West – arguably baseball’s most competitive division – has prepared him for the intensity of an AL East pennant race.

Most importantly, Kelly represents the kind of calculated risk that championship teams must take. Sure, trading prospects always stings, but when you’re three games out of first place with this kind of momentum, sometimes you have to mortgage the future for the present opportunity staring you in the face.