As the MLB trade season has come and gone, the Baltimore Orioles were notably active ahead of the 6 p.m. deadline on Tuesday evening. They made several moves, but it remains uncertain if these changes are sufficient to secure a World Series title. There’s a possibility they may come to regret some of these decisions.
3. Trading for Eloy Jimenez
I scratched my head for a minute when I saw that Baltimore was bringing in Eloy Jimenez to help with the team’s lack of outfield production. Most importantly, it’s a known fact that Jimenez has been injury-prone throughout his career. He has already missed nearly half the games this season, appearing in just 66, and has never played more than 120 games in a season.
Regardless of the injuries, it’s notable that Jimenez currently owns a career-low 84 wRC+, which is 16 percent worse than the league average. His 2024 slash line of .240/.297/.345 won’t significantly boost Baltimore’s offense. While his .285 BABIP suggests some bad luck, his .105 ISO (a career-worst), 33 percent hard-hit rate, and 2.7-degree launch angle indicate that there’s much to be desired from a player brought in to address “outfield woes,” especially since he has played as a DH in every game but one this season.
Defensively, Jimenez has spent the last four years near the bottom of the league in both Outs Above Average and Runs Prevented. The only positive aspect of this move is that it represents a low-risk, high-reward play.
Although his expected stats aren’t much better than his actual stats, Baltimore only had to give up one low-level prospect who was not highly touted in their system. Still, it’s hard to see how GM Mike Elias can justify this move given Jimenez’s $16.5 million annual price tag. With two club options after this season, it will be interesting to see if the team opts to keep him.
2. The Trevor Rogers overpay
With one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, it’s surprising that GM Mike Elias sent multiple top 100 prospects to Miami for Trevor Rogers when they likely could have obtained someone better for a similar price. Consider that the Orioles also landed Zach Eflin, a pitcher having a better season, for less.
If Rogers continues his recent turnaround, the trade might make sense. However, it still feels like a move made out of desperation given the high price, even with Rogers having two years remaining on his contract.
The Orioles currently boast 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 does not seem like the best way to help the team. It would have been better to use some of that prospect capital to acquire a player who could make a more immediate and significant impact.
1. Not landing Jack Flaherty/Tarik Skubal
This ties back into the Orioles giving up too much for who they did get while not being willing to pull the trigger on an even bigger trade for Jack Flaherty or Tarik Skubal. Jackson Holliday is a potential star in the making, but the Orioles already have multiple prospects that have worked out. Given how close Baltimore is to World Series contention, it would have been wise to add those finishing touches to the roster.
The Orioles were extremely fortunate that the New York Yankees passed on Flaherty due to what they deemed a medical concern. Had New York landed Flaherty, their already solid rotation would have significantly decreased the Orioles’ chances of winning the AL East.
The L.A. Dodgers swooped in and added Flaherty to their rotation, whose medical staff voiced no concerns. If there were any real concerns about Flaherty’s health, the Dodgers would have passed too. This was a big missed opportunity for Elias and the Orioles’ front office to pull away in the division.
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