Orioles begin trade deadline sell-off by sending reliever to division rival

The Baltimore Orioles have traded right-handed relief pitcher Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays, as first reported by FanSided's Robert Murray. In return, Baltimore will receive Tampa Bay's competitive-balance pick (No. 37) in this Sunday's MLB Draft, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

An 11th-round pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2016 MLB Draft, Baker has spent nearly his entire Major League career with the Orioles. The Rockies traded him in 2018 to the Toronto Blue Jays, with whom he made his MLB debut in 2021. The Orioles grabbed Baker off waivers from Toronto just two months later, and he has been in Baltimore ever since.

Baker's last game as an Oriole was probably one he'd like to forget, as he got lit up for four runs without recording an out against the New York Mets on Tuesday. That outing alone saw his ERA balloon from 2.58 all the way to its current 3.52 mark. It was his worst performance in what has otherwise been a solid season for the veteran right-hander, who has pitched to a 3.52 ERA over 38 1/3 innings for Baltimore in 2025.

Orioles begin trade deadline sell-off by sending Bryan Baker to division rival Rays

Baker has been a reliable setup man for the Orioles this season, recording 10 holds and a pair of saves in his 38 1/3 innings. With Pete Fairbanks locking up the closer role in Tampa Bay, Baker's save opportunities may not be as plentiful, but he still provides another valuable leverage arm to the Rays' bullpen as they try to gain ground on Baker's former team in Toronto in the American League East race.

Though they lost a dependable bullpen arm with three remaining years of team control, this was a good move for the Orioles amid their epic 2025 collapse. It's a sign that they have accepted their fate as deadline sellers this season and have already shifted their focus to 2026 (and beyond).

The Orioles will now be extremely busy on night one of the MLB Draft Sunday in Atlanta. After they select at No. 19 in the first round, they will have back-to-back picks at Nos. 30 and 31 as compensation for losing Corbin Burnes to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Anthony Santander to the Blue Jays in free agency after they declined qualifying offers.

Now, the Orioles will also get Tampa Bay's No. 37 pick in addition to No. 58 (second round), No. 69 (Competitive Balance Round B) and No. 93 (third round) before Sunday comes to a close, with rounds 4-20 still to come on Monday.

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