{"id":81375,"date":"2024-07-26T17:53:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T21:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=81375"},"modified":"2024-07-26T17:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T21:53:02","slug":"orioles-trade-for-zach-eflin-rays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/07\/26\/orioles-trade-for-zach-eflin-rays\/","title":{"rendered":"Orioles Acquire Veteran Starter To Bolster Rotation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an intra-division deal, the Baltimore Orioles traded for starting pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/e\/eflinza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Eflin<\/a> from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for three minor leaguers, the team announced Friday. In exchange for Eflin, the Rays receive outfielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=etzel-000mat&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matthew Etzel<\/a>, super-utilityman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=horvat000mac&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mac Horvath<\/a>, and right-handed pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=baumei000jac&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jackson Baumeister<\/a>. The trade marks the second deal the Orioles have made on Friday, joining their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/07\/26\/orioles-trade-austin-hays\/\" target=\"_self\">transaction with the Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> that landed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/dominse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seranthony Dominguez<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pachecr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cristian Pache<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We have made the following trade: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/u7MmvIReDV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/u7MmvIReDV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Orioles\/status\/1816947247503839368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><b>Orioles Trade for Veteran Zach Eflin To Boost Starting Rotation<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eflin is currently in the second year of a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/19954\/zach-eflin\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three-year, $40 million<\/a> deal that made him the Rays\u2019 most expensive outside free agent signing ever. The 30-year-old has a 4.09 ERA, which is below his career average, in 19 starts this season. Eflin has a higher 4.76 ERA in the month of July and missed time twice this campaign due to injury. He dealt with low back tightness in April and lower back inflammation in May. Eflin has 87 strikeouts in 110 innings. He\u2019s held opponents to just 13 walks and a 1.164 WHIP. Eflin has an ERA+ of 95, just below the league average of 100.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Zach Eflin, K&#8217;ing the Side. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9bVOLMoggs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/9bVOLMoggs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PitchingNinja\/status\/1781751703995400534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before 2024, the right-hander led all of baseball with 16 wins last season while posting a career-best 3.50 ERA. Eflin has thrown over 100 innings in five of his nine MLB campaigns, including the current season. He spent his first seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies, recording a 4.49 ERA in 115 starts. Eflin was a pivotal part of Philadelphia\u2019s run to the World Series in 2022, pitching the last out of the Phillies\u2019 playoff-clinching victory over the Houston Astros.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eflin slots into Baltimore\u2019s current rotation nicely. He joins a group including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/burneco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Corbin Burnes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rodrigr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grayson Rodriguez<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kremede01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dean Kremer<\/a>. The Orioles already have the eighth-best team ERA in baseball, and fourth-best in the American League, at 3.73. Baltimore has had a flurry of pitching injuries in 2024, leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bradiky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Bradish<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/meansjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Means<\/a> out for the year. To make room for Eflin on the Orioles\u2019 40-man roster, reliever <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/n\/nittovi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-07-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vinny Nittoli<\/a> was designated for assignment.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/orioles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#orioles<\/a> also announce Vinny Nittoli DFA&#8217;d. Seranthony Dominguez will wear No. 56. He&#8217;s reported. OF Cristian Pache also reported and is wearing No. 26.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/masnRoch\/status\/1816948142043963862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>Rays Get Back Three Prospects In Eflin Trade<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rays brought in three prospects in return for Eflin. Horvath ranks as Baltimore&#8217;s 10th-best prospect, per <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/prospects\/orioles\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MLB.com<\/a>. He batted .232 in High-A with the Orioles, posting a .745 OPS with nine home runs. Baumeister ranked as the Orioles\u2019 No. 17 prospect. A 2023 draft choice, the 22-year-old had a 3.06 ERA at High-A this season over 70 \u2154 innings. He currently struggles with control, allowing 43 walks. Baumeister has dominated in punchouts, though, racking up 91 strikeouts in 2024. Etzel rounds out Tampa\u2019s haul. A 10th-round pick in 2023, Etzel batted .289 across two levels in Baltimore\u2019s system this year. He has played 32 games at the Double-A level, the highest of the three players the Rays acquired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: \u00a9 John Jones-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an intra-division deal, the Baltimore Orioles traded for starting pitcher Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for three minor leaguers, the team announced Friday. In exchange for Eflin, the Rays receive outfielder Matthew Etzel, super-utilityman Mac Horvath, and right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister. The trade marks the second deal the Orioles have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5152,"featured_media":81382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1071,35,6],"tags":[2231,1937,2057,2030,5885,6077],"class_list":["post-81375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-orioles","category-mlb","category-news","category-rays","tag-corbin-burnes","tag-cristian-pache","tag-dean-kremer","tag-grayson-rodriguez","tag-seranthony-dominguez","tag-zach-eflin"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}