New Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Already Looks Like Major Steal

Zach Eflin has been a perfect fit for the Baltimore Orioles.

Aug 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin throws a pitch. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

It's been nearly two weeks since the MLB Trade Deadline. Now that the dust has settled, several key trends have already started to emerge for the Baltimore Orioles.

On the one hand, it seems that Mike Elias might have made the bullpen worse rather than improving it, as Gregory Soto has been a complete disaster since coming over from the Philadelphia Phillies. On the other hand, he absolutely nailed the Eloy Jimenez and Zach Eflin trades, the latter of which already looks like a major coup.

The Orioles took a considerable risk by sending three prospects to the Tampa Bay Rays for Eflin on July 27 in a rare trade between division rivals. While Baltimore was criticized for not landing a true ace like Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell or Garrett Crochet, Eflin has proven to be a perfect addition to the team's rotation.

In his first three starts with the Orioles, Eflin has gone 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA and a 17:2 K/BB ratio in 19 1/3 innings. He's delivered a win and a quality start in all three of his outings, providing some much-needed stability and effective innings to Baltimore's injury-riddled rotation.

That includes Eflin's gem against the Rays on Friday. He dominated his former team over seven shutout innings in his return to Tropicana Field, pitching his new team to a 4-1 victory and making the trade look even worse from Tampa Bay's perspective.

Zach Eflin shut down his former mates in his first start back at The Trop. pic.twitter.com/s2VsusIgE0

— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2024

And unlike many trade deadline acquisitions, the 30-year-old righty isn't a rental. He's still under team control through 2025, so the Orioles can pencil him into next year's rotation as well. He also provides some insurance in case Corbin Burnes departs in free agency.

Eflin may not be an ace, but his skills and durability make him an ideal mid-rotation starter. He's exactly what the Orioles needed, and poaching him from a division rival makes the deal even sweeter.