With the MLB trade season now over, the Baltimore Orioles were active before the 6 p.m. deadline on Tuesday evening. They made several moves, but it remains unclear if these actions are sufficient to secure a World Series title. Some of these decisions might even be regrettable in hindsight.
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3. Trading for Eloy Jimenez
I was puzzled when I saw that Baltimore had acquired Eloy Jimenez to address their outfield production issues. Jimenez has been notoriously injury-prone throughout his career. He has already missed nearly half of the games this season, appearing in just 66, and has never played more than 120 games in a season.
Despite the injuries, it is worth noting that Jimenez currently has a career-low 84 wRC+, which is 16 percent worse than the league average. His 2024 slash line of .240/.297/.345 is unlikely to significantly boost Baltimore’s offense. While his .285 BABIP might indicate some bad luck, his career-worst .105 ISO, 33 percent hard-hit rate, and 2.7-degree launch angle suggest there is much to be desired from a player expected to resolve the “outfield woes” but has played as a DH in all but one game this season.
Defensively, Jimenez has ranked near the bottom of the league in both Outs Above Average and Runs Prevented over the past four years. The only upside to this move is that it’s a low-risk, high-reward play.
Although his expected stats aren’t much better than his actual stats, Baltimore only had to give up a low-level prospect who wasn’t highly regarded in their system. However, it’s difficult to justify this move given Jimenez’s $16.5 million annual price tag and his two club options after this season. It will be interesting to see if the team opts in.
2. The Trevor Rogers Overpay
With one of the strongest farm systems in baseball, it’s surprising that Elias sent multiple top 100 prospects to Miami for Trevor Rogers, especially when they likely could have acquired someone better for a similar price. The Orioles also obtained Zach Eflin, a pitcher having a better season, for less.
If Rogers continues his recent turnaround, this move could make sense. However, it feels like a desperate decision, as the price was steep even with Rogers having two years remaining on his contract.
The Orioles currently have a starting rotation ERA of 3.73, the third-best in the American League. Adding a player with a career 4.23 ERA and a 4.53 ERA this season doesn’t seem like the best strategy to improve the team. They might have been better off using their prospect capital to land a player who could make a more significant impact.
1. Not Landing Jack Flaherty/Tarik Skubal
This issue ties back to the Orioles’ overpayment for Rogers and their failure to secure a bigger trade for Jack Flaherty or Tarik Skubal. Jackson Holliday is a potential star, but the Orioles already have several successful prospects. Given how close Baltimore is to World Series contention, it might have been wise to make more substantial additions to the roster.
The Orioles were lucky that the New York Yankees passed on Flaherty due to medical concerns. If the Yankees had acquired Flaherty, their already strong rotation would have dramatically reduced the Orioles’ chances of winning the AL East.
The L.A. Dodgers ultimately added Flaherty to their rotation, with their medical staff finding no issues. If there had been any real concern about Flaherty’s health, the Dodgers would have passed as well. This was a significant missed opportunity for Elias and the Orioles’ front office to strengthen their position in the division.
