Baltimore Orioles trade for Gerardo Parra (updated)

The Baltimore Orioles have traded triple-A pitcher Zach Davies to Milwaukee for outfielder Gerardo Parra. The deal is “straight-up,” which comes as a bit off a surprise. As of last night Milwaukee was asking for more than one prospect in return for Parra, however it appears that the market on him took a downtick at the last moment.

Parra could be the corner outfielder for which the Orioles have been looking since the departure last year of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. He’s also a guy that’s expected to hit leadoff, which will allow Buck Showalter to bat Manny Machado lower in the order. On the season he’s hitting .328 with nine home runs and an OBP of .369. 

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Parra serves several purposes for the Orioles in the immediate interim. I suspect he’ll streamline the batting order as well, which could have a ripple effect up and down. Davies was drafted by the Orioles in 2011,

and thus far is 5-6 on the year at Norfolk. This is a deal that will not come off as popular with some people. However the Orioles have upgraded their team, and thus their chances of contending for the post season this year.

Here’s the other thing; given the log jam of pitchers, whether or not Davies would have been in the big leagues anytime soon is another story. I know the Orioles were big on him, however keep in mind that two of his Norfolk teammates (Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson) have already been in the bigs this year. So presumably he’s behind them in a sense, along with the pitchers that are already here.

It’s unclear when Davies will actually be arriving in Baltimore, however I suspect it will be at the latest by the end of the weekend. It’ll be interesting to see how the Birds make space for him on the roster – there’s also a trade on the table involving Tommy Hunter to Chicago, as has already been discussed here on Birds Watcher. But the Orioles ended up DFAing Bud Norris to make space on the roster – pending whatever happens later.

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My personal opinion is that while it’s always tough to get rid of a prospect, this is probably a good move for the O’s. It signals to the fans that they’re looking to contend once again – so “Buckle Up!” Furthermore, the O’s got the price to drop overnight, which shows what type of negotiator Duquette is. Parra is of course a free agent at the end of the year; whether the Orioles re-sign him remains to be seen. But let’s get him here before we do anything else.

Update (4 PM): The O’s have dealt Tommy Hunter to the Cubs in exchange for minor league outfielder Junior Lake – who has played in the big leagues in the past, including 21 games this year. He hit .224 in his time this season with the Cubs. It’s unclear if the O’s will assign him to a minor league affiliate or promote him to the big league level.

It’ll be viewed as bittersweet for fans to see Hunter go. While he had his “go boom” moments and so forth, he was a great clubhouse guy and he really fit in with this team. He of course came to the O’s in the trade that brought Chris Davis here as well. This is all part of the game, and the business of it. All in all, the O’s got a good haul for Hunter.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Trade Talks with Chicago for Tommy Hunter

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