Baltimore Orioles Receive Stellar Mark in Re-Grade of Zach Eflin Acquisition

The Baltimore Orioles aced their trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Zach Eflin.

Sep 1, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles had a clear goal ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline; they wanted to upgrade their pitching staff as much as possible.

Despite being one of the best teams in baseball throughout the campaign, the Orioles could certainly use some pitching depth. They had players slated to be key contributors suffer injuries throughout the year, leaving their rotation thin.

Luckily, they were able to strike a deal for some help within the American League East. In a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore acquired starting pitcher Zach Eflin.

To land him, the versatile Mac Horvath, right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister and outfielder Matthew Etzel were packaged.

At the time, it was a move that many analysts liked for the Orioles. Eflin had been pitching well for the Rays, tossing 110 innings across 19 starts with a 4.09 ERA. His FIP hinted that some bad luck was involved, as that number was a tidy 3.69.

It turns out, the advanced stat was onto something. Since being acquired by Baltimore, Eflin has looked the part of a staff ace.

In five starts he has gone 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA. He has pitched 32.1 innings, striking out 34 while walking only three. In totality this season, he has the best BB/9 ratio in baseball with a 1.0 with only 16 across 142.1 innings.

Originally, the Orioles received an A for their grade. About five weeks since the deadline, that grade remains as strong as ever in the opinion of Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report.

“Baltimore's already injury-depleted rotation got quite the scare when Eflin landed on the IL in mid-August with shoulder inflammation, but he returned as good as new on Sept. 1 for his fifth consecutive quality start since landing in Baltimore.

If he continues to pitch every fifth game for the O's, Eflin is lined up to start Game 2 of what should be a ginormous three-game series in The Bronx over the final week of the regular season. And if he ends up being the difference in that race for the AL East and a possible No. 1 seed, he will have already been worth that upcoming $18M,” Miller wrote.

If the MLB analyst is going to hand out an A+, this would be the deal that deserves it. Should Eflin take part in that season-defining series against the New York Yankees and come away victorious, he will be worth every penny and prospect spent.