Orioles acquire veteran RHP in surprise early trade with Cubs

The Orioles have gotten off to a hot start this year, winning two of their first three games against the Blue Jays. The offense looks to be in a good rhythm, having hit 10 home runs already, and the pitching staff has been good enough, if not exceptional.

Despite the pair of victories, Orioles GM Mike Elias has gone out and tacked on some extra pitching depth by making a small trade with the Cubs. On Saturday afternoon, the Orioles announced they'd acquired RHP Cody Poteet from Chicago in exchange for cash considerations.

Poteet was recently designated for assignment by the Cubs after struggling in his two spring training appearances. The righty was also the lone piece the Cubs got back from the Yankees in the trade that sent former MVP and Rookie of the Year award winner Cody Bellinger to New York.

In that context, it's a bit of a surprise that the Cubs decided to designate Poteet for assignment rather than just option him to the minors. He has two option years remaining and was good enough during his stint with the Yankees last year to warrant taking a chance on him.

Orioles acquire RHP Cody Poteet from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations

Regardless, the Cubs didn't want him. It's more evidence that the Bellinger trade was a pure salary dump. Thankfully that's a consideration that Cubs fans have to deal with. The Orioles don't have to deal with that emotional baggage.

In Poteet, the Orioles are getting an interesting, if unreliable, arm. Poteet pitched to a 2.22 ERA in 24.1 innings with the Yankees last year. He did get a bit lucky though, as evidenced by his 4.03 FIP and the dismally low 16.7% strikeout rate.

While he doesn't throw particularly hard, he's been effective over the last handful of years when he's been available. A 3.92 ERA across 10 starts at Triple-A Scranton in 2024 was a decent showing after missing nearly all of the 2023 season thanks to Tommy John surgery.

That said, injuries have been a problem for the 30 year old. He was limited by a triceps injury last year and missed much of '23 with Tommy John. He also dealt with a knee sprain back in 2021 that caused him to miss significant time.

It's possible that the Orioles' pitching development team can find a way to unlock this guy. They've done well with older pitchers and rehab projects, so there's certainly a case to be made that Poteet will come out of nowhere to be an effective contributor in 2025.