Orioles may regret ignoring bullpen arm Dodgers just swiped in a trade

There are a few teams that a general manager should be wary of working with. If the Tampa Bay Rays are giving up a player, there's reason to wonder why. Similarly, if the Los Angeles Dodgers want a player, there's a reason to question what they know that you don't. Along those lines, the Baltimore Orioles have traded right-handed relief Chayce McDermott to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

McDermott was the 2023 Orioles' minor league pitcher of the year, and his underlying metrics during his ascension through Baltimore's system would suggest that he was capable of having success with the big-league club. Part of the problem is he's never been given an extended runway, only five appearances with the Orioles since making his debut in 2024. Injuries certainly played a part in that, but McDermott never had immediate success.

Turning 28 in August, it felt like McDermott was quickly approaching the end of the line with his time in Baltimore. He opened the 2026 season in Triple-A and was designated for assignment by the team when there was a need for an open spot on the 40-man roster. While there's a question over just how successful the Orioles' pitching staff can be this season, they also have a healthy amount of depth. Depth that made McDermott expendable.

Did the Orioles miss something that the Dodgers found?

For as great as the Los Angeles Dodgers have been since Shohei Ohtani's arrival in 2024, they've been no strangers to looking for pitching depth during the regular season. Trading McDermott feels like another instance of them having capable arms at the ready if needed. It's also possible the Dodgers look to unlock the swing-and-miss that is clearly in McDermott's profile.

As of this writing, there's no word on the return headed the Orioles' way. Chances are, it will be nothing more than cash considerations or a player to be named later. If anything, perhaps the Orioles were able to scratch a low-level lottery ticket.

The only real fault of the Orioles is that they never gave McDemott an extended look. Given the strikeout percentages he posted in the minors, it felt like stuff that Mike Elias should have been willing to take a gamble on. Nonetheless, McDemott was clearly toward the bottom of the Orioles' pitching depth and now has a change of scenery with the Dodgers.

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