Eight days after the Trade Deadline, Baltimore’s return haul is already giving the Orioles plenty to track.
The club moved catcher Adley Rutschman, right-handers Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells, and outfielder Taylor Ward, then brought back nine players in total: two big leaguers and seven prospects. With the regular season’s final two months underway, the early signs are starting to take shape.
One of the biggest immediate changes has come behind the plate. With Samuel Basallo sidelined by right shoulder inflammation, Carlos Narváez has taken over as Baltimore’s starting catcher ahead of Yohel Pozo. Through five games entering Monday’s series opener at Minnesota, the 27-year-old was 2-for-15 (.133), but the Orioles have already liked what they’ve seen defensively.
“He’s elite at what he does,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “It's something that you notice across the way, but now that you're in it with him, I haven't been around a catcher that's more prepared than him.”
The prospect group from the Boston deal has come out firing.
Anthony Eyanson, Baltimore’s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 49 overall, struck out nine over five innings in his Double-A Chesapeake debut on Saturday. The 21-year-old right-hander gave up two solo homers against Harrisburg, but the outing still looked loud across 82 pitches.
Kyson Witherspoon, another 21-year-old righty, turned in a strong first start for High-A Frederick on Saturday. He worked 4 1/3 innings against Jersey Shore, allowed one unearned run and struck out three over 88 pitches.
Enddy Azocar has made his presence felt right away at Frederick. The 19-year-old outfielder went 10-for-24 (.417) over his first five games, piling up four doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBIs and two walks.
The rest of the return has been just as busy across the system and in the bullpen.
Hoppe has already joined Baltimore’s relief corps, giving the Orioles a hard-throwing option they can use in different spots. The 27-year-old right-hander threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings across his first two outings, including a clean frame Sunday at Texas in which he worked around two hits.
Kreiling made his first start for Single-A Delmarva on Saturday and gave up two runs in two innings against Fredericksburg. Moore has been with Double-A Chesapeake and has yet to allow a run in two appearances, striking out three while giving up only one hit over two innings.
Baltimore’s lone return piece from the Wells deal is Michael Forret, and his path back to the organization has already been a winding one. Drafted by the Orioles in the 14th round in 2023, he was dealt to Tampa Bay in the Shane Baz trade in December before coming back at the Deadline.
Forret’s first outing since rejoining Baltimore came Sunday for Triple-A Norfolk. He allowed two runs over 4 2/3 innings at Buffalo, scattering seven hits, walking two and striking out five on 92 pitches, 53 of them strikes.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have Another Catching Problem To Solve
A thin catching group in Baltimore got even thinner at Target Field, where Yohel Pozo had to leave the game after taking a swing to the left hand from Josh Bell. Pozo was down with left index finger pain, adding another layer of concern for an Orioles team already navigating a shortage behind the plate.
Samuel Basallo is still out with right shoulder inflammation, and the Orioles do not have Adley Rutschman available after trading him to Boston following his time on the injured list. Silas Ardoin is on the taxi squad in Minneapolis and looms as the most immediate roster option if Baltimore needs another catcher in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Need Samuel Basallo Back For More Than Just Depth
Samuel Basallo has started back up with throwing and hitting drills as he works through right shoulder inflammation, a welcome sign for an Orioles club that has had to adjust to life without Adley Rutschman. The return timeline is still unsettled, but the fact that Basallo is back doing baseball activities at least puts him on the road toward rejoining the mix.
For Baltimore, the intrigue goes beyond simply filling a spot behind the plate. Basallo is viewed as the catcher of the future, and the Orioles need to see him healthy enough to handle the kind of development that comes with being more than a depth piece. His progress matters because the organization is counting on him to become a real part of the next chapter, not just an emergency option when the roster gets thin. [Read more 🡒]