Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros reportedly fighting for same under-the-radar pitching gem on trade market

A new report claims three of the top teams in the American League — the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees — are all competing for the same hidden gem pitcher on the trade market.

Entering the MLB games today , the Astros, Orioles, and Yankees are either near or at the top of their respective divisions. However, all three clubs are heading in different directions. Houston is one of the hottest teams in baseball and has retaken the AL West lead. New York is in a major slump, while Baltimore has not taken advantage and padded their AL East lead.

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Interestingly enough, despite the different makeup of their rosters, all three clubs are reportedly targeting the same position before the MLB trade deadline: Starting pitching. The Yankees and Orioles have been linked to some of the top names on the market, but the trio of teams reportedly have their sights set on a very good under-the-radar talent that is allegedly available.

Baltimore Orioles among four playoff contenders pursuing Jameson Taillon

“According to sources, the Astros, Orioles, Red Sox, and Yankees are among the teams that have expressed interest in Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon,” MLB Network league insider Mark Feinsand wrote on Thursday night.

Taillon has been a rock-solid big league pitcher throughout his eight-year career and quietly has two 14-win seasons on his resume. One of those years came with the Yankees in 2022.

Jameson Taillon stats (2024): 7-5 Record, 2.96 ERA, 1.146 WHIP, 78 SO, 21 BB, 100.1 IP

Before the 2023 season, he landed a sizable four-year, $68 million contract from the Cubs. While he struggled his first season, he is having a career year for the last-place team. He is not Garrett Crochet. But for clubs that strikeout in pursuits for the top names on the pitching market, Taillon is an excellent fallback option that could make a difference in the second half.

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• Latest New York Yankees rumor reveals two recent failed attempts to land game-changer replacement for Gleyber Torres