Baltimore Orioles interested in Julio Borbon

Texas Rangers 27-year-old outfielder Julio Borbon is on the trading block after being designated for assignment about five days ago, and there isn’t an opportunity for him to make an impact in Arlington. His agent, the might Scott Boras, stated that Borbon would have three to four teams interested in trading for him, and so far we have heard of two teams. The Minnesota Twins are reportedly showing some mild interest in Borbon, and now ESPN’s MLB Insider Buster Olney reports that the Baltimore Orioles “have interest” in Borbon. However, Olney adds that the Orioles “have found the asking price too high”.

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Borbon will most likely go without being traded and will instead be scooped up after he clears waivers. That’s unless the Rangers lower their asking price for a team like the Orioles or Twins, or if a team really likes Borbon or really wants to add another outfielder into the mix. Most teams interested would much rather wait until ten days after the DFA period, because nobody wants to make a trade unless they have to. With a lukewarm market, the Rangers might not be able to find a trade partner for Borbon unless somebody, again, really wants him. I doubt that happens, and the Rangers are trying to get what they can within this window. If they want something, they’re going to have to cut down and settle for a low-level prospect.

The best asset that the left-handed hitter provides is his speed, but his swiftness on the bases is outweighed by his inability to get on base at a high rate. He offers no pop, but he can be a quality depth outfielder for a team. Depth outfielders usually don’t generate much trade interest, so we’ll see what the Rangers can get out of him.