SEATTLE — A team with a bad bullpen can win the World Series.

The Texas Rangers did it last season after theirs ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.77 ERA. The Washington Nationals did it, too, after their relief corps was 29th with a 5.68 ERA in 2019.

Those teams serve as reminders that bullpens are fickle and far less important than a team’s starting rotation and offense. However, they’re also the outliers as two of only three teams this century to win a championship with a bullpen that ended the regular season ranked in the bottom 10.

The Orioles’ bullpen isn’t nearly as bad as the 2023 Rangers or the 2019 Nationals. But what was Baltimore’s strength last year with Félix Bautista is perhaps becoming a weakness this year without him, and Thursday’s loss to the Mariners when the bullpen faltered to give up five runs in the seventh was the latest example.

With 25 days until the trade deadline, the Orioles’ shaky middle relief needs a boost. The trade market has yet to reveal itself with seemingly far more buyers than sellers, and starting pitching will not be the only thing Baltimore is seeking.In the meantime, there are options at Triple-A who are pitching well enough to receive a look. There’s no way to know if the Orioles have legitimate relief options on the farm unless they’re called up and given a shot. With the trade deadline looming and the big league bullpen struggling, now might be the best time to do just that.

Prospect Chayce McDermott leads all minor league pitchers in punchouts and has a 33.4% strikeout rate at Triple-A. He’s a starter, but the organization could seek to limit his innings this summer as he’s 36 away from his single-season high of 119 last year. With the Orioles rotation still possessing solid depth and the club in the market for more at the deadline, the right-hander could provide solid long relief or even be a dominant right-on-right arm.

Or maybe not. Maybe McDermott’s walks are too much of an issue. But isn’t it worth a shot at this point?

Calling up a 25-year-old to pitch out of the bullpen isn’t a massive threat to his development. Just look at Corbin Burnes, who was called up in July 2018 to be a reliever for a Milwaukee Brewers team that came one win away from reaching the World Series. Burnes turned out just fine. (Massive disclaimer: This is not a comparison of McDermott and Burnes, but rather an example that other teams have called up pitching prospects to be relievers in the summer.)

There are many others in Norfolk, too, who are pitching well enough to get a shot. Journeyman southpaw Luis González has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in Triple-A. Four-year MLB veteran Tucker Davidson has a 2.22 ERA this season and has drastically lowered his walk rate in recent weeks. Sidearmer Nolan Hoffman hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 consecutive innings. Perhaps the club has strong reason to believe these pitchers won’t succeed in the major leagues, but Yennier Cano’s ascendance from a wild, nondescript reliever to an All-Star came after he was surprisingly thrown into high-leverage situations last April in Chicago. The next Yennier Cano isn’t in Triple-A. But if he were, maybe no one would ever know.

Of course, it’s not as simple as calling everyone up. None of the aforementioned potential relievers are on Baltimore’s 40-man roster, meaning a player would have to be moved to the 60-day injured list or designated for assignment to create space.

But the club has flexibility with the injured Kyle Bradish and Danny Coulombe able to be moved to the 60-day IL, and several fungible players on the 40-man roster. Putting a player on the 40-man roster can cause a cascading effect on decision-making down the line, but now might be the proper time to take that small risk to see who’s best equipped to get outs in the bullpen.

This also deserves repeating: The Orioles’ bullpen has not been bad. The unit has ranked in the top 10 in the majors for most of the season — as high as second — and now sits in 12th with a solid 3.64 mark.

Craig Kimbrel (2.23 ERA) has bounced back from his early season stumble. Cano (3.06 ERA), despite a high walk rate, has largely been a capable setup man. Jacob Webb (2.87 ERA) has emerged as one of Hyde’s most reliable arms with his platoon-neutral profile. And Cionel Pérez (3.81 ERA) is in his third straight season as a capable lefty specialist.

One factor putting pressure on Hyde and his relievers is the absence of Coulombe. Before his elbow injury in June, Coulombe was in his second consecutive season as one of the majors’ best left-handed relievers. His 0.615 WHIP was best among qualified MLB relievers before his injury, which required bone chip removal surgery. He is expected back in September.

Even the middle relievers who have struggled have solid numbers. Keegan Akin, who gave up the bases-clearing double and two-run homer Thursday, has a 3.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 10.3 strikeout-per-nine rate. Dillon Tate has a 3.38 ERA.

Bryan Baker’s 5.91 ERA isn’t indicative of how well he’s pitched since being recalled last month.

However, the bullpen’s ability to hold up for the remainder of the season — and be capable of closing out games in the playoffs — remains a major unanswered question. And those three pitchers are also the only ones in the bullpen with minor league options, aside from Cano, who has mostly pitched too well to be considered for a demotion.

Before the deadline heats up, it would be prudent to turn over every stone.

Acquiring relievers isn’t easy, and it’s often costly — meaning it’s far from a guarantee executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias can add the number or type of relievers he has on his wishlist.

The Orioles need bullpen help, and now is the time to figure out who can.