Baltimore Orioles Pull Off Trade for Coveted Rays Starter

The Baltimore Orioles have pulled off a trade for one of the top available starting pitchers.

Jun 28, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Tropicana Field / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have been searching for help in their rotation ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Now, they have found at least one piece to take their starting pitching to the next level.

According to a report from MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Orioles have pulled off a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for 30-year-old starting pitcher Zach Eflin.

As expected, Baltimore has been very busy ahead of the trade deadline. Earlier today, they agreed to a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that sent outfielder Austin Hays out of town.

Eflin is a big-time pickup for the Orioles. He will be a big addition towards making a serious run at the World Series.

During the 2024 MLB season with the Rays, Eflin has made 19 starts, compiling a 5-7 record to go along with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, a 6.7 K/BB ratio, and 110.0 innings pitched.

Those numbers will look great in a rotation that features ace Corbin Burnes.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Baltimore has shipped out three prospects, outfielder Matthew Etzel, pitcher Jackson Baumeister, and super utilityman Mac Horvath to get this done.

Horvath and Baumeister are the headliners of this deal as they are ranked 10th and 17th in the the Orioles' pipeline respectively.

It will be interesting to see what other moves Baltimore has in the chamber. They were viewed as one of the teams most likely to be aggressive before the trade deadline. That has clearly been proven to be true.

Expect to see the Orioles remain active in the coming days. They could still use an addition to their bullpen and maybe a couple of other pieces.

All of that being said, this is a huge step in the right direction for Baltimore as Eflin should be a major impact player down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs.