Taking a closer look at Orioles' trade with Padres that netted six minor leaguers

The Orioles wouldn’t budge.

Talks with the Padres leading to the trade deadline took multiple shapes. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano could be dealt separately or packaged. Different prospects were discussed. The whole thing would have fallen apart if the Guardians accepted an offer for Steven Kwan.

To make it work for the Orioles, they had to get left-hander Boston Bateman. He was the potential deal-breaker.

I’ve heard that the Padres were reluctant to part with him. They tried other combinations to avoid losing their No. 4 prospect. The Orioles had to include Laureano, whose contract contains a $6.5 million option for next season. And they had to stay patient and stick to their demand.

The six minor leaguers who came to the Orioles are products of the 2024 draft – Bateman in the second round, infielder Cobb Hightower in the third, pitcher Tyson Neighbors in the fourth, shortstop Brandon Butterworth in the 12th, pitcher Tanner Smith in the 15th, and first baseman Victor Figueroa in the 18th.

One source said the teams talked about first-rounder Kash Mayfield, an Oklahoma prep left-hander, but the Orioles insisted on Bateman in any deal. He was their guy.

This is a trade that can work out for both sides, which is how it’s supposed to go down. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden gave San Diego an A grade for its moves and lauded Preller for being “the king of the trade deadline.” O’Hearn and Laureano provide the bats that were desired, and only O’Hearn is a true rental. Elias pried their No. 4, 6, 12 and 29 prospects to give his own system a needed boost.  

Elias described it yesterday as “a lot richer and a lot more robust than it was one month ago,” which also can assist in making trades for major league talent in 2026.

Bateman, whose name appears on Class A Delmarva’s roster, seems to be a lot more than trade bait. He’s an imposing figure at 6 foot 8 and 240 pounds, but more impressive are the 60-grade curveball and upper-90s fastball. He’s posted a 4.08 ERA and 1.317 WHIP in 15 starts in his first professional season with Class A Elsinore, with 75 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings.

“I think Boston Bateman in particular, a very premium pitching prospect from the left side,” Elias said, “the likes of which very hard to get your hands on.”

A scout in the National League who’s tracked the Padres says Bateman, 19, was their best pitching prospect.

“Just a great, great, great kid,” he said. “He pitches in the mid-90s. He’s gonna be a 95-to-100 guy. He’s got a great slider and a great feel for the change. He throws strikes, there’s no fear. He’s one of the hardest workers they have. Just a quality, 80-90 makeup kid.

“He wants the ball, he grabs it, and he’s aggressive and competes. He’s top of the rotation. They got a really, really good one. About two years away.”

By the way, Bateman’s father, Eric, was an offensive lineman drafted by the Jets in the fifth round in 1998 out of BYU. 

The scout rates Smith, also on Delmarva’s roster, as the second-best player in the trade. Smith, listed at 6 foot 6 and 245 pounds, pitched at Harvard University and averaged 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings this year between the Arizona Complex League and Class A levels.

“Tanner Smith is a real sleeper out of Harvard,” the scout said. “Really put together with a really good arm. He has a great delivery. He’s a guy who will throw 97-98 with a really, really good slider. He’s got a chance to be an end-of-the-game reliever.”

Here’s the scout’s quick takes on the other four players:

* Hightower, 20: “He’s a baseball rat type of kid. He probably won’t play on the left side of the infield. His ceiling could be as a utility guy. He’s got great instincts and he plays hard. He’s more of a ballplayer than an athlete.”

* Butterworth, 22: “He plays with his hair on fire. A hard-nosed kind of guy. A poor man’s kind of (Jordan) Westburg. That kind of player. An overachiever who knows how to play, does a lot of little things to help you win. He could play shortstop and second base in the big leagues right now defensively. More of a line drive hitter with occasional power.”

* Figueroa, 21: “What he has is incredible power. I saw him in the ACL and he hit a couple balls that were over the batter's eye, three-quarters up the berm. I mean, he’s got monster power. He’s got a long, upper-cut swing, but when he hits it, he hits it. He’ll get your attention in BP. But he's strictly a DH.”

* Neighbors, 22: “He’s got a great curveball. For a relief pitcher, he’s got like 10 pitches. His fastball needs to miss bats. It’s straighter than straight. I think there’s something to work with. He throws usually 94-96, in there, but he throws a high fastball. He pitches like a closer. He’s the most aggressive kid on the mound. He’s gonna power the fastball. He’s not tall but he’s really strong.”