The Orioles today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitcher ZACH EFLIN and cash considerations from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher JACKSON BAUMEISTER, minor league infielder/outfielder MAC HORVATH, and minor league outfielder MATTHEW ETZEL.
Eflin, 30, is 5-7 with a 4.09 ERA (50 ER/110.0 IP) with 115 hits (14 HR), 55 total runs allowed, three hit-by-pitches, 13 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 19 games, all starts, for the Rays. His 2.8 percent walk rate is the second-best among qualified pitchers in MLB this season behind Seattle’s George Kirby (2.6%), and his 5.0 walk rate since debuting in 2016 is the third-best among active qualified pitchers behind St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas (4.3%) and Los Angeles-NL’s Clayton Kershaw (4.7%). Eflin won a career-high 16 games for Tampa Bay last year, tied with Toronto’s Chris Bassitt for the most in the American League, while his 1.02 WHIP was the second-best mark in MLB behind New York-AL’s Gerrit Cole (0.98). He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting in 2023. The right-hander was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the Supplemental First Round (33rd overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Hagerty (FL) High School. He was acquired by the Dodgers as part of a five-player trade involving Matt Kemp on December 18, 2014, and by the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-player move for Jimmy Rollins on December 19, 2014. Eflin signed a three-year contract with the Rays in December 2022 that runs through the 2025 season.
Baumeister, 22, is 1-3 with a 3.06 ERA (24 ER/70.2 IP) with 53 hits (3 HR), 31 total runs, seven hit-by-pitches, 43 walks, and 91 strikeouts in 18 games, all starts, with High-A Aberdeen. He was selected by the Orioles in the Compensation B Round (63rd overall) of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida State University. Baumeister is ranked as the No. 17 O’s prospect and No. 6 Orioles pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Horvath, 23, is slashing .232/.328/.417 (63-for-271) with 19 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 40 runs scored, 41 RBI, four hit-by-pitches, 37 walks, and 26 stolen bases in 71 games with High-A Aberdeen. He was originally selected by the Orioles in the Compensation B Round (53rd overall) of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina. Horvath is ranked as the No. 10 O’s prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Etzel, 22, is batting .289/.363/.445 (87-for-301) with 15 doubles, seven triples, six homers, 46 runs scored, 47 RBI, two hit-by-pitches, 36 walks (2 IBB), and 41 stolen bases in 83 combined games between Double-A Bowie and High-A Aberdeen. He was originally selected by the Orioles in the 10th round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi.