TRADE: Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles Make a Deal

The Orioles received left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin and right-handed pitcher Kyle Virbitsky from the A's in exchange for infielder Darell Hernaiz, Baltimore Orioles beat reporter Dan Connolly at The Athletic reports.

The Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics made a trade Thursday afternoon. The Orioles received left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin and right-handed pitcher Kyle Virbitsky from the A's in exchange for infielder Darell Hernaiz, Baltimore Orioles beat reporter Dan Connolly at The Athletic reports.

The Orioles have acquired LHP Cole Irvin and RHP Kyle Virbitsky from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for INF Darell Hernaiz.
Also, LHP Darwinzon Hernandez has been DFA'd. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players. @JeffPassan first on trade

— Dan Connolly (@danconnolly2016) January 26, 2023

In a corresponding roster move, the Orioles designated left-handed pitcher Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment.

Irvin, 28, posted a 3.98 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 94 ERA+ over 181 innings pitched in 30 starts for the A's. The A's acquired Irvin from the Philadelphia Phillies in Jan. 2021 in exchange for cash considerations.

The Orioles had been rumored to be trying to trade for a starting pitcher, and now they have. It will be interesting to see if they add any further to their club after acquiring Irvin.

The A's selected Virbitsky in the 17th round of the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft out of Penn State University. Virbitsky, 24, struggled in Low-A and High-A in 2022, posting a 4.63 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 126.1 innings pitched in both levels.

The Orioles selected Hernaiz, 21, in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft. He slashed .273/.341/.779 in his time in Low-A, High-A and Double-A last season.

The Orioles are coming off their first winning season since 2016, the last year in which they made the playoffs. The Orioles greatly exceeded expectations, winning 83 games in 2022. Despite putting together a winning season, the club still finished fourth in the American League East. The Orioles have finished fourth or fifth in each of their last six seasons, and hope to make a move up in the standings in 2023.

Meanwhile, the A's are coming off their first 100-loss season since 1979.

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