The Orioles have acquired right-hander Zach Eflin and money concerns from the Rays in trade for 3 prospects, per bulletins from each golf equipment. Going to the Rays are outfielder Matthew Etzel, right-hander Jackson Baumeister and utility participant Mac Horvath. Proper-hander Vinny Nittoli has been designated for project by the O’s to get Eflin onto their roster.
Eflin, 30, has been a stable massive league starter for a few years, together with his time with the Phillies and with the Rays as properly. For the reason that begin of 2018, he has allowed 4.01 earned runs per 9 frames in over 800 innings. His 22.2% strikeout fee and 44.8% floor ball fee in that point had been each near league averages and he additionally restricted walks to a tiny fee of 4.9%. Right here in 2024, he has a 4.09 ERA in 19 begins. His strikeout fee is right down to 18.9% however he’s additionally lowered his stroll fee to 2.8%.
A couple of month in the past, it was reported that the Rays could possibly be trying to make some beginning pitchers obtainable, even when they weren’t sellers within the classically understood definition. They’d a rotation consisting of Eflin, Aaron Civale, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, with Tyler Alexander readily available as a depth choice. On prime of that group, they’d Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen every getting again to well being after vital elbow surgical procedures.
As the general group turned more healthy, the Rays had been seemingly open to subtracting, as doing so may enable them to deal with different components of their roster, avoid wasting cash, bolster their farm system or some mixture of these targets, and nonetheless hold a reasonably wholesome rotation for the stretch run. Probably the most logical candidates for such a commerce had been Civale, Littell and Eflin because the three of them had been slated without spending a dime company after 2025. Civale was flipped to the Brewers just a few weeks in the past and changed within the rotation by Baz, with Eflin now transferring on as properly.
The Baltimore rotation has been within the reverse place, because it’s been getting much less wholesome because the season has gone alongside. Every of Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells required UCL surgical procedure earlier this yr, placing them out of motion for the rest of the marketing campaign.
They nonetheless had a robust entrance two within the rotation with Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez, however there’s been far much less certainty behind them. Prospects Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott had been every given temporary auditions however weren’t spectacular. Dean Kremer has a serviceable 4.43 ERA however may be fortunate to have that, contemplating his .227 batting common on balls in play. Albert Suárez has a 3.48 ERA however is a 34-year-old journeyman who’s again within the majors for the primary time since 2017. Cole Irvin has been moved between the rotation and bullpen on account of inconsistent outcomes. Bolstering that group is a lot smart and it now appears a lot stronger with Eflin in it. Burnes is about to succeed in free company after this season, so buying Eflin can be a notable transfer for Baltimore’s 2025 rotation.
Along with the state of affairs in Tampa’s rotation, an Eflin deal has appeared seemingly on account of his contract. He signed a three-year pact with the Rays going into 2023, with the $40MM assure being backloaded. He was paid $11MM final yr and is making that very same quantity right here in 2024, with an $18MM wage for 2025. The Rays usually commerce their gamers earlier than they attain free company and slinking away from that enormous dedication within the ultimate season of the deal all the time appeared potential.
The Rays are masking Eflin’s $1MM commerce bonus however the O’s are in any other case absorbing the deal, per Jon Heyman of The New York Put up and Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Solar, each on X. That’s maybe a notable improvement because the Orioles haven’t spent a lot cash since their final aggressive window closed. Per the information at Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the O’s had nine-figure Opening Day payrolls from 2014 to 2018 however haven’t been again to that degree since then.
A number of the gentle spending has been because of the membership rebuilding lately however their return to rivalry hasn’t led to a loosening of the pursestrings. The O’s haven’t given a multi-year deal to a free agent since Alex Cobb in early 2018 and the biggest assure of any form given out since then is the $13MM given to Craig Kimbrel on his one-year deal.
David Rubenstein bought the franchise from the Angelos household earlier this yr and it has been hoped that the possession change would additionally result in a change in spending habits. Maybe the truth that the O’s are taking over an $18MM wage for subsequent yr is an indication that Baltimore will likely be working otherwise any longer.
Turning to Tampa’s finish of the deal, they’re presumably saving at the very least slightly bit of cash whereas additionally including three recent prospects to their system. Baseball America simply up to date their checklist of the highest 30 Orioles’ farmhands, with Horvath within the #13 slot and Baumeister at #18, via Etzel doesn’t crack the checklist.
Horwath, 23, was chosen within the second spherical of final yr’s draft. He’s hitting .232/.328/.417 in Excessive-A this yr for a 110 wRC+. He’s additionally stolen 26 bases whereas taking part in second base, third base and the outfield.
Baumeister, 22, was taken with a aggressive stability decide final yr, 63rd total. He has made 18 begins on the Excessive-A degree this yr with a 3.06 ERA and 29.5% strikeout fee, although a 14% stroll fee. Etzel was a tenth-round decide final yr and has slashed .289/.363/.445 for a 126 wRC+ between Excessive-A and Double-A this yr.
The O’s are 61-41 and tied for one of the best file within the American League however had been heading into the stretch run with a flimsy rotation. They’ve strengthened it with a stable veteran, each for this yr and subsequent. They’ve subtracted from their farm system nevertheless it’s thought-about the most effective within the league they usually held onto their prime guys. Although the rotation is healthier than it was earlier than this commerce, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them add one other arm. It’s additionally been reported that they might commerce somebody like Ryan Mountcastle or Cedric Mullins, although maybe right this moment’s commerce of Austin Hays to the Phillies makes that much less seemingly.
The Rays have added to their pool of younger expertise whereas shedding some payroll commitments, however nonetheless go into the ultimate months of this season with a reasonably stable rotation. Maybe they’re nonetheless hoping to compete nevertheless it additionally appears a extra vital sell-off is within the playing cards. They traded outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Mariners yesterday and it’s potential that guys like Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes, Jason Adam, Pete Fairbanks and others could possibly be obtainable within the coming days.
Previous to this commerce, Eflin was additionally linked to golf equipment just like the Astros, Atlanta and the Cardinals. These golf equipment will now must look elsewhere for rotation upgrades within the coming days. Pitchers like Jack Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi, Erick Fedde, Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal and others have been in rumors with various levels of availability.
Nittoli was simply added to Baltimore’s roster lower than two weeks in the past and they’ll now must both commerce him or put him on waivers within the coming days. He has a 1.50 ERA in 12 massive league innings this yr between the O’s and the A’s.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported on X that the O’s could be getting Eflin. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the prospects going again to the Rays on X. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com relayed Nittoli’s DFA on X.
