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Rays’ starter Shane Baz has been traded to the Orioles for a prospect haul.
The Tampa Bay Rays have traded right-hander Shane Baz to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a prospect haul, according to Ken Rosenthal and Keith Law of The Athletic.
This haul includes outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Micheal Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The cost was high for Baltimore in acquiring a pitcher who has started in just 54 games since 2021, suffering many injuries during that time period, including undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The former first-round pick had his healthiest season to date in 2025, pitching in 31 games (166.1 innings), albeit to the tune of a 4.87 ERA.
More on Tampa Bay’s Prospect Haul
The price for starting pitching in the trade market has been high all offseason. This trade was no stranger to that.
Bodine and de Brun were both first-round picks in 2025 by Baltimore.
In 11 games of A-ball, Bodine, 22, hit .326 with a .757 OPS, good numbers for a catcher. Bodine slots in as the Rays’ No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He is highlighted with above-average hit and field tools.
As for de Brun, the 18-year-old slots in as the Rays’ No. 6 prospect, despite his slight frame at 5-foot-10, 187 lbs. De Brun has not played in the minor leagues yet. He is profiled as having elite speed and fielding ability.
Forret, 21, was a 14th-round pick by Baltimore in 2023, but has nonetheless sprinted through the Orioles’ system. He is profiled as having three above-average pitches. In 19 games between high-A and double-A in 2025, Forret had a 1.58 ERA with 91 strikeouts, and slots in as the No. 5 prospect in the Rays’ system.
Overn, 22, has elite speed and fielding ability as a former blazing wide receiver in California. A third-round pick in 2024, Overn hit .249 in 2025 with a .754 OPS. But beyond that, Overn had an astounding 64 steals. Overn comes into the Rays’ system as their No. 20 prospect.
Getting four top-20 prospects for a pitcher is amazing, especially for a pitcher with Baz’s injury history and inconsistency. When you factor in getting a Competitive Balance Round A pick, this is quite the return for Tampa Bay.
How Will Tampa Bay Fare Without Baz?
Without Baz, the Rays still have a talented rotation.
Drew Rasmussen should lead the pack after starting a career-high 31 games (150 innings), putting up a 2.76 ERA and finishing top-10 in Cy Young voting.
Shane McClanahan has struggled heavily with injuries, having not pitched since 2023, but is still an elite pitcher when healthy, as evidenced by two All-Star appearances. In 74 games, McClanahan has pitched to a 3.02 ERA. He was one of the best starters in baseball from 2021-2023.
Ryan Pepiot, Steven Matz and others should find their way into the rotation. Pepiot had a 3.86 ERA in a career-high 167.2 innings in 2025. Matz had a 3.05 ERA out of the bullpen between Boston and St. Louis, but has starting experience.
In a day that has seen the Rays trade Baz to Baltimore and star second baseman Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh in a three-team trade, Tampa Bay has acquired a lot of hope for its future.
Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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