Orioles' Deadline Fire Sale: Expert Grades Revealed

Baltimore Orioles Make Multiple Trades Ahead of Deadline

The Baltimore Orioles made a flurry of trades before the 6 p.m. deadline, starting with sending Bryan Baker to the Rays on July 10 and ending with a cash deal for a 34-year-old reliever just after the deadline. In total, they executed eight player-for-player moves that netted 16 prospects while saying goodbye to nine members of their major league club. These transactions are expected to have long-term impacts that will not be fully realized for years.

However, the immediate effects of these trades have been widely analyzed by experts. Here’s a look at what some analysts had to say about the most notable deals:

Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano Traded to Padres

In one of the most significant trades, the Orioles sent 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn and OF Ramón Laureano to the Padres in exchange for prospects Boston Bateman, Cobb Hightower, Tyson Neighbors, Victor Figueroa, Brandon Butterworth, and Tanner Smith.

• ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle: B+

• “The Orioles are doing the right thing in shedding their expiring deals and adding prospects in bulk to replenish their system, especially on the pitching side.”

• The Athletic’s Sam Blum: A-

• “They’re at least doing the right thing with the situation that they’re in, acquiring a slew of minor leaguers, including at least two solid pitching prospects.”

• USA Today’s Jesse Yomtov and Gabe Lacques: A

• “Rather than finding separate buyers, the Orioles packaged two of the top bats on the market and received six prospects in return – all of whom were just drafted in 2024.”

• Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer: A

• “Bateman, Hightower, Neighbors, and Figueroa are the guys who were ranked within San Diego’s top 30, with Bateman leading the way at No. 4.”

Cedric Mullins Traded to Mets

The Orioles also traded CF Cedric Mullins to the Mets in exchange for pitching prospects Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez, and Chandler Marsh.

• ESPN’s Doolittle: C+

• “It’s not the sexiest return for someone who contributed as much to the Orioles as Mullins.”

• The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen: B+

• “Mullins represents improvement there, but he’s an imperfect fit. The Mets have struggled more against lefties than righties, and the lefty-swinging Mullins has traditionally done the same.”

• USA Today’s Yomtov and Lacques: B+

• “Mullins’ time with the Orioles ends 10 years after the club drafted him in the 13th round. It’s certainly not the way Baltimore wanted to say goodbye to their longtime outfielder, but the Orioles got two of the Mets’ top 30 prospects.”

• Bleacher Report’s Rymer: B

• “Though neither [Nunez or Gomez are] a sure thing, you can’t fault the O’s for aiming for upside on a rental who, merits notwithstanding, has been worth 0.1 rWAR in 2025.”

Ramón Urías Traded to Astros

INF Ramón Urías was sent to the Astros in exchange for pitching prospect Twine Palmer.

• ESPN’s Doolittle: B-

• “The bittersweet part of it for Baltimore fans is the offense has finally started to roll, but even if that keeps up, there’s probably not enough pitching left to sustain a miracle run.”

• The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt: B-

• “Palmer has a lot left to prove if he is to become the second known player with Twine in his name to reach the majors.”

• Bleacher Report’s Rymer: B

• “This isn’t necessarily a steal for the Orioles, but Palmer is a legitimately interesting prospect who could have a big league career just by virtue of being different.”

Andrew Kittredge Traded to Cubs

RHP Andrew Kittredge was sent to the Cubs in exchange for infield prospect Wilfri De La Cruz.

• The Athletic’s Andy McCullough: B

• “De La Cruz signed for $2.3 million this offseason, the recipient of the largest bonus in the Cubs’ international class. It’s a good upside play by Baltimore in exchange for a middle reliever.”

• Bleacher Report’s Rymer: B

• “The only reason this is a B is because De La Cruz is a project prospect. He only just signed in January and is still just 17 years old.”

Gregory Soto Traded to Mets

LHP Gregory Soto was sent to the Mets in exchange for pitching prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster.

• ESPN’s David Schoenfield: B-

• “Aracena is a 6-foot-3, 20-year-old right-hander with a 2.38 ERA in low-A, including 84 strikeouts in 64 innings.”

• The Athletic’s Chad Jennings: B

• “The Orioles get high-velocity upside from Aracena, while Foster is an older prospect, but his numbers are good.”

• Bleacher Report’s Rymer: B

• “Soto wasn’t exactly a shiny trade chip, so the O’s are to be commended for somehow turning him into two prospects.”

Seranthony Domínguez Traded to Blue Jays

RHP Seranthony Domínguez was sent to the Blue Jays in exchange for pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown.

• The Athletic’s Zack Meisel: A-

• “Watts-Brown had sparkling numbers in eight starts in A-ball this season. Since being promoted to Double A, his numbers are still solid, but his walk and strikeout rates are more pedestrian.”

• Bleacher Report’s Rymer: A

• “Domínguez is on an expiring contract, so the O’s had to get rid of him somehow. That they had to eat some money to make it happen is not ideal.”