A couple of seasons ago, the Baltimore Orioles won 101 games, the AL East, and were among the favorites to win the World Series. Excitement and optimism were as high in Camden Yards as at any time in recent memory. But over the last two years, Baltimore has fallen all the way to the bottom of the division. The biggest culprit for the precipitous fall has been the starting pitching.

On Friday, they took a big step in trying to address that. The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a blockbuster trade, with Shane Baz heading up I-95 from Florida to Maryland.

In return, the Rays landed a massive haul of prospects, including Caden Bodine, Michael Forret, Austin Overn, and Slater de Brun. Baltimore also shipped a Competitive Balance Round A pick, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Baz may not be a household name, but at his peak, he has ace-type stuff. So, this trade warrants a discussion on who won the trade?

Orioles boost starting pitching with Shane Baz addition

Last season, the Orioles finished with a record of 75-87, which was 19 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. But it wasn’t because the team could not hit. They mash, with several talented young bats in the lineup.

But the team’s starting pitching was very poor. It certainly did not help that ace Grayson Rodriguez missed the entire season after elbow surgery. But the depth of the rotation is clearly lacking. Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano are decent middle-of-the-rotation guys. But Charlie Morton just turned 42 years old, and Dean Kramer is far too inconsistent.

So, Baz will slide right into the SP2 slot for Baltimore, pushing everyone else into a more appropriate spot.

But after an outstanding 2024 season, Baz struggled mightily in 2025. He earned 31 starts, pitching to a 4.87 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, both far below what your second-best starter ought to have. That prompts the question of how good is Baz, really?

In order for the Orioles to win this trade, he’ll need to replicate what he did in 2023 (3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP). In the loaded AL East, I find that hard to believe.

Grade: B-

Rays acquire tons of young talent

Tampa Bay’s side of the Shane Baz trade has far more questions than answers. But all signs point to this being a great deal for Tampa.

They are accustomed to drafting pitchers well, developing them, having them win a Cy Young or two, then trading them. Just look at Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, etc. But this time, they offloaded a pitcher that never showed that level of promise. But Tampa still landed an impressive haul that includes two first-round MLB Draft picks.

Baltimore selected Bodine 30th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, and de Brun seven picks later.

Bodine profiles as a future starting catcher in the majors, mostly due to his defensive prowess. He has developed the reputation for being ahead of the curve framing pitches, and has a solid arm. He has not shown much pop at the plate, but that can improve over time.

Meanwhile, de Brun is a top-ranked outfielder with an advanced eye at the plate. Many scouts believe he could become an everyday table-setter, utilizing his plus speed and contact to get on base and swipe bags.

Then you toss in Ferret, who pitched to a 1.58 ERA across 18 starts in the minors last season, and you have the makings a substantial haul. Overn has track-star speed, but it is unknown if other parts of his game will develop enough to get the call up.

All told, Tampa appears to have won this trade.

Grade: A-