Inbox: How will O's restructure rotation?

The All-Star break is in the books, the Battle of the Beltways looms and just like that, the Trade Deadline is just two short weeks away.

That means this is one of the most important times of the year for an Orioles team in transition. It also feels like the perfect time to tackle some of your Deadline-themed questions. Let’s get started.

With Andrew Cashner gone, who is going to fill the innings?
-- Adam B., Baltimore

The short answer is that the Orioles are going to piece it together whatever way they can. But first, let’s recap: When Cashner was traded on Saturday to the Red Sox for a pair of teenage prospects, it wasn’t a surprise. A relatively expensive veteran on an expiring contract, Cashner was the most likely Oriole to be dealt as the club looked to unload veterans for a second straight summer. The focus of this season was always to value the franchise’s long-term goals over the current on-field product, making flipping Cashner to a contender the obvious play.

There is no question, though, that doing so leaves the current rotation even more in shambles. With Cashner gone and Dylan Bundy on the injured list, the Orioles do not have an active starter with whom they began the season. They will continue to backfill and juggle their pitching plans daily, likely for the remainder of the year.

In the short term, that means recently acquired depth options like Asher Wojciechowski and Aaron Brooks will continue to get starts. Thomas Eshelman likely will as well. Gabriel Ynoa’s stock has fallen recently, but he remains an option simply because there aren’t many others. Chandler Shepherd, Luis Ortiz and Tyler Herb qualify as depth options at Triple-A Norfolk. And don’t forget about Dan Straily, who is there as well.

What about Keegan Akin?
-- Nat M., Bethesda, Md.

Akin is languishing a bit at Triple-A, pitching to a 4.44 ERA and career-worst walk rate during his first stint at the level. The Orioles were more concerned with Akin’s development than rushing him to the Majors when he was pitching well earlier this season, and now that the results aren’t there, I don’t expect them to do so until at least September. That could change, though, depending on how much the 40-man roster churns by the end of the month.

Who is the next player dealt?
-- @seriesgraysti

The Orioles are going to listen to deals for everyone -- there is simply no one who's untouchable on a club that's at this stage in its rebuild. But who has the most value? That would be players with relative track records and remaining years of club control: Bundy, Mychal Givens, Jonathan Villar and Trey Mancini.

Bundy’s right knee injury is minor enough that it probably won't complicate his trade value, and the fact that he’s under team control through 2022 likely makes him attractive to other clubs. Same goes for Givens (through '22) and Villar (through '21), who both seem much more likely than Mancini to be dealt. Givens, in particular, appears primed to stand out in a thin relief market.

Who are the O's going to take a look at in the September callups?
-- Ronan G.

Akin is a possibility, but again, he’s not on the 40-man roster. And until deals are (or aren't) completed at the Deadline, it’s hard to predict what that’ll look like six weeks from now.

That said, there is probably a good chance we see Hunter Harvey, if he’s not in Baltimore earlier. Same for Dillon Tate, who like Harvey, is seeing his results play up in a relief role. DJ Stewart is more or less a guarantee -- again, unless he’s already in Baltimore. The big question is whether Austin Hays could get enough at-bats the rest of the way for the Orioles to be comfortable with promoting him when rosters expand.