The Orioles are buying right-hander Zach Eflin from the Rays, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on X. The Rays will obtain three prospects within the deal, per Jeff Passan of ESPN on X. They’re outfielder Matthew Etzel, right-hander Jackson Baumeister and utility participant Mac Horvath. There are money concerns going from Tampa to Baltimore within the deal, per Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner on X. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com relays on X that right-hander Vinny Nittoli has been designated for task to get Eflin onto Baltimore’s roster. Each side have formally introduced the deal.
Eflin, 30, has been a stable massive league starter for a few years, together with his time with the Phillies and with the Rays as nicely. Because the begin of 2018, he has allowed 4.01 earned runs per 9 frames in over 800 innings. His 22.2% strikeout price and 44.8% floor ball price in that point have been each near league averages and he additionally restricted walks to a tiny price of 4.9%. Right here in 2024, he has a 4.09 ERA in 19 begins. His strikeout price is right down to 18.9% however he’s additionally lowered his stroll price to 2.8%.
A couple of month in the past, it was reported that the Rays may very well be trying to make some beginning pitchers obtainable, even when they weren’t sellers within the classically understood definition. They’d a rotation consisting of Eflin, Aaron Civale, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, with Tyler Alexander available as a depth choice. On high of that group, they’d Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen every getting again to well being after important elbow surgical procedures.
As the general group grew to become more healthy, the Rays have been seemingly open to subtracting, as doing so may enable them to handle different elements of their roster, avoid wasting cash, bolster their farm system or some mixture of these objectives, and nonetheless preserve a reasonably wholesome rotation for the stretch run. Essentially the most logical candidates for such a commerce have been Civale, Littell and Eflin because the three of them have been slated without spending a dime company after 2025. Civale was flipped to the Brewers just a few weeks in the past and changed within the rotation by Baz, with Eflin now transferring on as nicely.
The Baltimore rotation has been within the reverse place, because it’s been getting much less wholesome because the season has gone alongside. Every of Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells required UCL surgical procedure earlier this 12 months, placing them out of motion for the rest of the marketing campaign.
They nonetheless had a powerful entrance two within the rotation with Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez, however there’s been far much less certainty behind them. Prospect Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott have been every given transient auditions however weren’t spectacular. Dean Kremer has a serviceable 4.43 ERA however may be fortunate to have that, contemplating his .227 batting common on balls in play. Albert Suárez has a 3.48 ERA however is a 34-year-old journeyman who’s again within the majors for the primary time since 2017. Cole Irvin has been moved between the rotation and bullpen because of inconsistent outcomes. Bolstering that group is loads smart and it now seems a lot stronger with Eflin in it.
Along with the scenario in Tampa’s rotation, an Eflin deal has appeared probably because of his contract. He signed a three-year pact with the Rays going into 2023, with the $40MM assure being backloaded. He was paid $11MM final 12 months and is making that very same quantity right here in 2024, with an $18MM wage for 2025. The Rays usually commerce their gamers earlier than they attain free company and slinking away from that enormous dedication within the closing season of the deal at all times appeared potential. Although they’re certainly transferring on from Eflin, they’re together with money concerns within the deal and should be paying a few of that $18MM subsequent 12 months, although the precise particulars of the cash haven’t been publicly reported.
Extra to return.
