Breaking MLB Trade: Orioles & Rays Swing Intra-Divisional Trade

The Baltimore Orioles just may have begun their sell-off, as they've pulled off an intra-divisional trade Thursday morning with the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa brings in some solid bullpen depth with the acquisition of O's right-handed reliever Bryan Baker.

In exchange, the Orioles get the No. 37 pick in the 2025 amateur draft, which begins Sunday. As noted by insider Ken Rosenthal, "The move could signal a sweeping series of sell moves by Baltimore," as we get closer to the trade deadline at the end of the month.

The 30-year-old Baker has a 3.52 ERA across 38 innings this season, with a 1.09 WHIP and a very impressive 49:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That's 11.5 K/9.

Baker is in his 4th major league season, all with Baltimore, and owns a career 3.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 10.5 K/9.

Bryan Baker had a rough outing his last time out on Tuesday, but the outing before that he struck out the side against Sean Murphy, Ronald Acuna Jr, and Austin Riley.

His 3 pitch mix between the fastball, changeup and slider is tough to deal with. pic.twitter.com/rD1dAdvTM4
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) July 10, 2025

As noted by TBRaysCentral, Baker has a tough three-pitch mix of fastball, changeup and slider.

As for the O's, it's been a hugely disappointing season after they were expected to contend for the division title with all their young talent. But they never made up for the loss of their ace Corbin Burnes in free agency, and they sit last place in the AL East, at 40-50, and well back of the Wild Card race.

Is this the start of a major sell-off for the Orioles?

“To whatever degree that we make trades, I hope that we evaluate the talent well and do moves that are positive for the organization for the long term,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday. “This is something that was not our plan, to be trading players off the major-league team in July. But we’re responding to the situation. We’ll see what the next few weeks bring.”

The Rays are in a Wild Card spot, and four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division lead.