Baltimore Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has declared his team a playoff contender, and says he'll be looking to add to his roster as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
"We're still contenders for the playoffs and we are going to approach our season as though we're going to advance to the playoffs, so we're going to continue to build and add to our team where we can," Duquette told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun.
Baltimore enters play Wednesday five games behind the American League East-leading New York Yankees and 3 1/2 out of a wild-card spot, but Duquette knows exactly what his club needs in order to close the gap.
"I think we need more pitching and we need more production from the outfield," he said. "We need more offensive production from our outfield, there's no question about that. So, if we can improve trade in that area, that's something we need to take a look at."
Duquette says he's listening to any and all offers, and no player is untouchable on his roster. He also didn't squash rumors that righty Kevin Gausman was on the trade block as a possible means to achieve his deadline goals.
Detroit Tigers slugger Yoenis Cespedes or San Diego Padres stud Justin Upton could be possible trade targets for Duquette to boost production in his outfield.
