BOSTON — It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Yet, somehow, it is. The Orioles are 16-34 after losing Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader to the Red Sox. No team in MLB history has made the playoffs after losing 34 of its first 51 games.

It isn’t technically over for the Orioles. Nearly 70% of the season still remains, the club will get healthier and key hitters are still due for some regression. But Baltimore needs a miracle if it wants to turn around this season.

Assuming there’s no more magic left in these Orioles, it appears quite likely that executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias operates the trade deadline as a seller. Two months ago, that prospect would’ve been shocking. Now, it feels inevitable.

It should be too early to hypothesize about the trade deadline, but with the way the Orioles are playing, Elias’ phone might already be ringing about his players. Here are 15 players who could be on the block in July:The big chips

Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn

If Elias is hoping to restock a farm system that’s gone from being MLB’s best to in its bottom half, these players are the ones who could do it for him.

There’s little way to know at this point in the calendar which players Elias will be selling, but it’s fair to assume anyone on an expiring contract will be on the trading block. All four of these players are, and they could be highly sought after at the deadline.

Eflin and Sugano are reliable, veteran starting pitchers and the only reason the Orioles’ rotation is only the second worst in MLB instead of the worst. Eflin has been a quality start machine since joining the Orioles last summer, while Sugano has done the same since Elias signed him for $13 million this offseason.

Last deadline, Elias acquired lefty Trevor Rogers and Eflin in a pair of trades that cost the Orioles prospects Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, Jackson Baumeister, Matthew Etzel and Mac Horvath. It might not be realistic to receive as much value for Eflin and Sugano as the Orioles gave up for Eflin and Rogers last year, but getting as close to it would help recuperate the farm.

Mullins and O’Hearn have been the Orioles’ top two hitters for much of this season. A team in need of a center fielder would certainly be willing to provide value for Mullins, while a club looking for a middle-of-the-order thumper might take a swing at O’Hearn, who could have a case to be Baltimore’s representative at the All-Star Game.

It’s important to note that trading away any of these players would not preclude the Orioles from trying to sign them in free agency.

The small chips

Ramón Laureano, Jorge Mateo, Charlie Morton, Gary Sánchez

Let’s give a big disclaimer here: These players will probably not be highly sought after.

But they’re all on track to become free agents at the end of the season (though Laureano and Mateo have club options for 2026), and none of them (sans Laureano) are playing well this season. The return from these players would likely be low-level prospects or cash considerations.

Laureano could make sense for a team in need of a right-handed bat. The veteran outfielder, whom the Orioles gave $4 million to this offseason, has surprisingly been one of Baltimore’s best players with a 1.2 wins above replacement (by Baseball-Reference’s estimation) that ranks fourth on the team behind only Sugano, Gunnar Henderson and O’Hearn.

Mateo’s offensive struggles have continued, but it is possible that another team in contention — and one with an open bench spot — could value his defensive versatility and speed, which could be game-changing in the postseason. Sánchez, who is now on the injured list, opened his Orioles career 3-for-30 at the plate after signing for $8.5 million this offseason. A team in dire need of a backup catcher could call Elias about Sánchez, though the Orioles might need to eat some of his remaining contract.

Morton is 0-7 with a 7.68 ERA after Elias gave him $15 million this offseason. Given the 41-year-old’s struggles, it’s unlikely he’ll be traded, though Morton has pitched well out of the bullpen recently and he has postseason experience. If it’s at all possible, the Orioles would likely have to be willing to eat some of the remaining money on his contract.

The bullpen arms

Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez, Andrew Kittredge

Last deadline, Elias acquired Soto and Domínguez, two former closers who had fallen out of favor in Philadelphia, from the Phillies in a pair of rare trades between teams in playoff contention.

It’s unlikely that Elias will be able to get as much for them this year as Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did last season — and it’s not as if he netted a strong return. The Phillies received outfielder Austin Hays, who struggled at the plate and with his health down the stretch, and pitching prospects Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace. Johnson is now a relief pitcher in Triple-A, while Chace is set to undergo Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.

Domínguez has a 6.06 ERA this season, while Soto’s is 4.67. Still, both relievers have plus stuff, high-90s mph fastballs and closing experience, a combination that could make them buy-low candidates for teams in contention.

The Orioles’ best opportunity to get legitimate value for a reliever at the deadline could be to trade Kittredge. The veteran right-hander, who made his Orioles debut Wednesday, has been one of MLB’s best setup men when healthy the past several seasons, posting a 2.47 ERA in 175 innings since 2021. His arm is fresh after missing the first two months with a knee injury, and he has a reasonable $9 million team option for 2026.

The controllable assets

Félix Bautista, Ryan Mountcastle, Keegan Akin, Ramón Urías

It doesn’t make sense for the Orioles to trade most of the players with several years of team control, such as Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and others. If they’re going to trade away any players with team control past 2025, these four players could be options.

Aside from the big chips, most of the players the Orioles could trade wouldn’t net significant returns. Bautista and Mountcastle could, depending how they play the remainder of the first half. If Bautista is able to return to his All-Star ways, he is one of the best closers in MLB and could garner a hefty haul with team control through 2027. If Mountcastle can find the power swing that’s eluded him in recent years, he could be of interest to teams in need of a right-handed bat.

The more likely outcome for Bautista and Mountcastle, though, is that they’re not traded. If they don’t return to form, it’s perhaps unlikely that Elias sells them low. And if they do, especially Bautista, why sell when the team is still looking to compete in 2026?

Akin and Urías, who are both in their second year of arbitration, have been two of the Orioles’ most underrated players since the start of 2024. Akin’s ability as a platoon-neutral bullpen arm who can go multiple innings is what’s made him one of the American League’s most valuable lefty relievers since last season, while Urías can play multiple infield positions and is supposed to be a backup in Baltimore when everyone is healthy.