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OK, so now what?
The Orioles traded center fielder Cedric Mullins to the Mets yesterday for three minor league relievers, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano to the Padres for six players drafted last year, and starter Charlie Morton to the Tigers for a left-hander also drafted last year, after they made earlier moves with relievers Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge and infielder Ramón Urías. This isn’t an entirely new team, but it’s got a drastically different look heading into the weekend series against the Cubs.
The final count: Nine players traded and 17 received, including left-hander Dietrich Enns, who arrived for cash considerations and is expected in the visiting bullpen tonight at Wrigley Field. No one else among the newbies gets in without a ticket.
The bullpen is almost unrecognizable, and that perception is enhanced by Félix Bautista’s extended stay on the injured list. The inflammation in his right shoulder made an MRI inconclusive and it’s going to take a few more weeks to get a reading.
Yennier Cano and Keegan Akin should hold hands.
The Kittredge deal was the most surprising of the relief foursome but not by much. He was a trade chip all along and the Orioles had to decide whether he was worth paying $9 million in 2026 while they take another shot at contending. They could have waited until the winter, with the potential for more suitors. But they landed a 17-year-old shortstop, Wilfri De La Cruz, who instantly became their No. 21 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. And bullpens routinely undergo makeovers, though the Orioles are pushing it to the extreme.
Kittredge flew to Chicago on the team charter and switched hotels after the trade. The weirdness knows no limits. Domínguez walks down the hallway to the visiting clubhouse at Camden Yards, and Kittredge checks out of one hotel and into another, with the same chance to face his former teammates.
Hunker down for more roster moves coming later today. The 26-man roster has three vacancies. Kittredge and Urías had to be replaced last night. Next up are Morton, Laureano and O'Hearn.
A bullpen with Corbin Martin, Grant Wolfram, Kade Strowd, Elvin Rodríguez and Houston Roth was awaiting another arrival until the Enns trade. And here comes Yaramil Hiraldo, recalled last night and able to return prior to the 15-day period because of a trade exemption. Triple-A Norfolk’s roster includes Matt Bowman, Roansy Contreras, José Espada, Cameron Foster, Keagan Gillies, Vinny Nittoli and Cionel Pérez. Chayce McDermott worked one inning Wednesday and allowed a run. He worked 1 1/3 Saturday and allowed five runs.
So many choices.
The rotation lost Morton – and the media some of the most thoughtful interviews ever - but kept Tomoyuki Sugano and Zach Eflin, who went on the 15-day injured list again with lower back discomfort. The Orioles are starting left-hander Trevor Rogers this afternoon and Sugano Saturday, with Sunday listed as TBA. Brandon Young is back after they recalled him yesterday and he’d be working on regular rest. Otherwise, he’s pitching in Philadelphia.
The outfield lost two important components with Mullins becoming a Met and Laureano a Padre. Colton Cowser has made 55 starts and 67 appearances in center field in his three major league seasons and can replace Mullins on most nights. Dylan Carlson brings more experience to the position with his 194 starts and 234 appearances spread over six seasons and he might avoid the Triple-A shuttle past the deadline.
Trading O’Hearn also removed an outfielder from the roster, mostly in right. It eventually should open a door for No. 3 prospect Dylan Beavers, who’s batting .304 with 13 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 42 RBIs, 21 steals, 56 walks and a .916 OPS with Triple-A Norfolk. It more immediately should open for Jordyn Adams, who was moved to Double-A Chesapeake’s roster and got into five games with the Orioles earlier this season.
Heston Kjerstad isn’t walking through it. He’s hitting .149/.225/.248 with Norfolk and went on the seven-day injured list, with the Orioles trying to guide him through a period of fatigue.
The Urías trade left the Orioles needing a utility guy and they recalled Jeremiah Jackson, who wasn't in Norfolk's lineup yesterday. Hint, hint.
Jorge Mateo is on the 60-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and has vanished from the daily updates. Luis Vázquez, who plays an outstanding shortstop, could return to the club at some point. Terrin Vavra is with the Baysox and brings a left-handed bat and defensive versatility.
The “free Vimael Machín” crowd should know that he had three more hits yesterday, including his 15th homer, and three RBIs and is batting .295 with an .842 OPS. He isn’t the type of defender that you’d comfortably move around the infield, but at this stage of the season, how much does it matter?
Bet you forgot about Liván Soto. He hasn’t played for Norfolk since July 5 due to injury and batted .176/.289/.215 in 64 games, but he just started a rehab assignment with Class A Delmarva.
The more interesting infield discussion centers around Coby Mayo, of course. O’Hearn isn’t blocking first base. Ryan Mountcastle could take over that role next week in Philadelphia after returning from the injured list, but the Orioles should be able to find more at-bats for Mayo, especially with his improvements at the plate and in the field.
Samuel Basallo’s debut is going to happen and that’s another first baseman and designated hitter, along with his catching skills, but this is a “come see the kids” opportunity that borrows from the 2001 slogan, except with much better players.
So here we are, with the dust settled and one less distraction from a hugely disappointing season. Can’t talk All-Star voting or the trade deadline. More players will return from injuries, with Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells the most noteworthy. Wells could help the rotation or bullpen, and how he’s used will bring interest. And there’s always the Basallo watch.
Pending free agents weren’t the only players moved and that was unexpected. The Orioles will spend the offseason looking for guys like Urías, Laureano and Kittredge. They had to really like the returns – and especially by packaging Laureano with O’Hearn to make a deep dive into the Padres’ prospects list – in order to part with them. One person in the industry described left-hander Boston Bateman as having "a super-high ceiling." An executive texted me with, "GREAT RETURN!!!" And also, "SUPER WOW!!!"
MLB Pipeline was impressed, as well. Bateman is the Orioles' No. 6 prospect in the updated rankings. Infielder Cobb Hightower is 21st.
The Orioles also got some really cool names over the past few days. Right-hander Twine Palmer, obtained from the Astros for Urías, should have a statue erected at the ballpark.
Let’s watch how high the farm system rises in the next rankings. It’s become much stronger. But the pressure intensifies to make the necessary moves over the winter to compliment the core that went undisturbed.
Try to shield your eyes from the flashbacks to the 2018 deadline. This one isn't a teardown and the Orioles aren't rebuilding. They just got super aggressive in their pursuit of lower-level minor league talent with high ceilings. And the opportunity remains to make Eflin a qualifying offer and take the competitive balance pick or retain him for one more season to fill in one of the rotation gaps.
They also could bring back some of the traded players in free agency.
The 2019 Orioles never were gonna do that.
