How Former Team Helped Orioles’ New Starter Ease into Rotation

The Baltimore Orioles not only got Zach Eflin in a trade, but they also got a trade partner willing to support his transition.

Aug 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Trades in baseball tend to be a matter of business. One team needs talent to help them win a title. Another has that player and needs players to build around for the future.

On the surface, that’s the deal the Baltimore Orioles made with the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Zach Eflin.

The right-hander was the starting pitcher the Orioles believe they needed to prepare for the postseason. The price to get him was significant. Baltimore gave up three prospects — pitcher Jackson Baumeister, outfielder Matthew Etzel and outfielder Mac Horvath.

The return was a 30-year-old starter that not only could help them this season as they attempt to win the World Series for the first time since 1983, but next season. Eflin will be in the final year of a three-year, $40 million deal he signed with Tampa Bay before the 2022 season.

He’s taken to life with the Orioles. Eflin has won each of his three starts and has a 2.33 ERA. For the season he is 8-7 with a 3.83 ERA.

Eflin is a great pitcher. But he also had a great support system in Tampa Bay. And the Rays made sure that support followed him to Baltimore.

Recently, an article in The Athletic disclosed just how the Rays smoothed Eflin’s move to their AL East rival.

Normally, it takes a coaching staff time to learn a new player. Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder made sure the Orioles were armed with plenty of information about the former Tampa Bay hurler. That included his pitch grips, throwing schedule and preferred sequencing.

Apparently that’s standard practice in Tampa Bay, Snyder said. When the Rays dealt reliever Phil Maton to the New York Mets last month, he did the same thing.

This time, however, because the O’s and Rays are division rivals, he had to get his usual standard operating procedure cleared with team management.

Synder said when “you’re invested, you continue to care for the player.”

“I do it for most pitchers when I know the team’s pitching coach so that the transition hopefully is pretty seamless,” Snyder said. “I don’t think it’s always the case, but I’m sure it happens elsewhere.”

That communication could be part of the reason Eflin’s transition to Baltimore has looked so smooth.

While the Orioles wait for better news on injured starter Grayson Rodriguez, Eflin hopes to keep Baltimore in the lead in the AL East with the rest of the rotation, which includes Corbin Burnes, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Albert Suárez.