Re-grading the Baltimore Orioles 2021 trade deadline moves

It’s time to throw on your hindsight cap and follow along, as we look back on the Baltimore Orioles’ 2021 trade deadline, and how the moves have panned out.

Some of the Baltimore Orioles’ moves last season were, for a lack of better words, puzzling, unexciting, and blah… Mike Elias was doing the best with what he could, and still found a way to make things shake out.

As Elias looked to re-build/brand the Orioles, things started taking shape last year around the trade deadline. While the rest of the MLB was making moves like it was a fire-sale, the Baltimore Orioles‘ pieced together a pair of trades. In those trades, the O’s shipped out reliever Shawn Armstrong and MLB vet Freddy Galvis for some future “prized possessions.”

The Shawn Armstrong Deal

Grade: B

The Baltimore Orioles sent right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations very early during deadline day. Armstrong had an 8.55 ERA in 20 appearances with the O’s last year, and was already sent down to the Tides when the deal came in.

Re-grading the Baltimore Orioles 2021 trade deadline moves

With cash considerations being the forefront of the deal, it’s tough to grade how it all went down. Regardless of not seeing an actual return for losing Armstrong, the O’s still made out well in this deal. The offloaded an unwanted asset that was costing them money, and in return got cash. Armstong’s season got a little better in Tampa, but every since has fallen off the cart.

The Freddy Galvis Deal

Grade: C

Right at the 4pm window, the Baltimore Orioles dealt  shortstop Freddy Galvis to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a right-handed pitching prospect. The prospect was Tyler Burch out of the Phillies farm system. If you still are unaware of who Burch is, it’s ok, we got you! He spent the rest of 2021 in Aberdeen and Bowie, where he looked like a solid prospect for the future.

However, the future can change, and his 2022 season is proof of that. So far this season, Burch has gone 0-4 and hosts a 9.60 ERA in Double-A. Through 15.0 innings out of the bullpen, he does have 16 Ks, but has been then recipient of some really bad luck and timing.

On the other end of that deal, Galvis when to Philly and let the wheels come off. For the remainder of the 2021 season, every offensive category went down, even though he did remain a fan-favorite in the city of brotherly love. Galvis has since moved to Japan to play, but his offensive touch seems to be lost.

The Armstrong deal got graded better, only because the return seemingly outweighed the loss. In the Galvis deal, Freddy still went on to play good ball for the Phillies, whereas Tyler Burch is still left to be seen. Elias did what he had to last year, and the Orioles will need more of that again this season. Keep it locked right here as the trade season is starting to heat up.