The Orioles took a big swing to address their needs in the starting rotation.
Earlier this afternoon, they completed a trade for Tampa Bay right-hander Shane Baz, the 12th overall selection in the 2017 draft. The cost in prospects is steep, with the Rays receiving outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret and a Competitive Balance Round A pick.
MLB Pipeline ranks de Brun as the No. 6 prospect in the system, Bodine 10th, Forret 11th and Overn 30th. The Orioles held the fifth selection in the A Round, which takes place between the first-round compensation picks and the second round.
President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias has sought at least two starting pitchers, with a willingness to spend money or consummate a trade. Baz is the first move, and another one is anticipated at or near the top of the rotation.
A big appeal of Baz, 26, is the three years of team control. He has a career 4.25 ERA and 1.227 WHIP in 54 starts over parts of four seasons, with 103 walks and 293 strikeouts over 286 innings.
Baz, a Texas native, was taken in the first round by the Pirates and traded to the Rays in August 2018 as the player to be named later with Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows in exchange for Chris Archer. He made three starts in 2021 and six in 2022, getting a late start after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow. Baz underwent Tommy John surgery in late September and missed the entire 2023 season.
The Rays reinstated Baz from the injured list on May 23, 2024 and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. He’d make 14 starts with Tampa Bay and post a 3.06 ERA and 1.059 WHIP in 79 1/3 innings, and 31 starts earlier this year, finishing with a 4.87 ERA and 1.335 WHIP over 166 1/3 innings.
The Orioles already have Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells coming back from elbow-reconstructive surgeries. Baz is ahead of them after handling a heavy workload last season, and he’s essentially a replacement for Grayson Rodriguez, whose last appearance was July 31, 2024. Rodriguez must be brought along more slowly after his trade to the Angels for power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward.
A five-pitch mix for Baz includes a four-seam fastball that averaged 97 mph last season and a plus curveball to go along with a cutter, changeup and slider.
The splits are an important part of his 2025 story. The Rays were forced to play at George Steinbrenner Field due to the damage inflicted to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton, and Baz posted a 5.90 ERA in 16 home games and a 3.86 ERA in 15 road starts. His WHIP dropped from 1.457 to 1.214.
Baz has faced the Orioles three times, all at Camden Yards, and allowed one earned run and four hits in 16 innings.
Bodine, 22, was the 30th overall pick in this year’s draft out of Coastal Carolina and he hit .326/.408/.349 in 11 games with Class A Delmarva. de Brun, 18, was 37th overall and didn’t make his professional debut.
Forret, 21, was a 14th-rounder in 2023, with an intriguing arm that produced a combined 1.58 ERA and 0.824 WHIP in 19 games between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie. He struck out 91 batters in 74 innings.
Overn, 22, was a third-round pick in 2024 who led Orioles minor leaguers this year with 64 stolen bases between Aberdeen and Chesapeake. He posted a .355 on-base percentage in 114 games.
The Orioles designated left-hander Josh Walker for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster.
A busy pre-holiday for the Orioles includes the Ward trade, the signings of first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract, closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal with an opt-out, and outfielder Leody Taveras for $2 million in 2026, and a trade with the Cubs for set-up man Andrew Kittredge, who had his $9 million option exercised.
This is a team geared toward winning this season, as demonstrated by the willingness to take one year of Ward in exchange for Rodriguez and the cost in prospects for acquiring Baz.