The Orioles didn’t hesitate.
Baltimore made nine total moves before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, starting its fire sale by sending Bryan Baker to the Rays on July 10 and concluding it by making a cash deal for a 34-year-old reliever that was announced right after the buzzer.
In total, the Orioles made eight player-for-player moves that netted 16 prospects while saying goodbye to nine members of their major league club. It’s a dizzying set of transactions the ramifications of which will not be realized for several more years.
But we’re interested in right here, right now. While flawed, immediate trade grades have become a staple of evaluation for determining who “won” and who “lost” the myriad deals around the league. Here’s a look at what some experts said about the most notable Orioles trades:
1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn and OF Ramón Laureano to Padres for prospects Boston Bateman, Cobb Hightower, Tyson Neighbors, Victor Figueroa, Brandon Butterworth, Tanner Smith
“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. Meanwhile, in moving Ramon Urias, O’Hearn, Laureano and Cedric Mullins over the past couple of days, Baltimore can go young all around the diamond over the next two months and see what its rebuilding effort of a few years ago truly wrought.”
“I hate to give Baltimore too much credit for anything, since they seemed to have totally flubbed their competitive window with a whimper. But 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
“The catch is that San Diego had a thin system even before dealing Leo De Vries to the Athletics in the Mason Miller blockbuster, but it’s hard to fault the O’s for pushing for as much bulk as they did. 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. He was a second-rounder in the draft last year, and suffice it to say that any 6-8, 240-pound lefty with a hard fastball and plus curveball is worth some excitement. Keep an eye on Neighbors as a guy who could make himself known in Baltimore’s pen as soon as next year.”
CF Cedric Mullins to Mets 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. But he did himself and the O’s no favors with his replacement-level season to date as he approaches free agency.”
The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen: B+
“While Mullins represents improvement there, he’s an imperfect fit. The Mets have struggled more against lefties than righties, and the lefty-swinging Mullins has traditionally done the same. (To his credit, he’s posting a career-best .866 OPS against lefties this season.)”
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 in Nunez (No. 14) and Gomez (No. 30).”
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.”
INF Ramón Urías to Astros for pitching prospect Twine Palmer
ESPN’s Doolittle: B-
“The Orioles have been turning the page on 2025’s disappointing roster. 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. In the meantime, the departure of Urias opens up opportunities for both Jordan Westburg and Coby Mayo for the rest of the season.”
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, joining 1890s St. Louis Browns catcher Art Twineham. A 19th-round pick in 2024, Palmer has pitched well this year, with a 2.98 ERA in 42 1/3 innings at Low-A Fayetteville. He’s a lottery ticket that the Orioles will add to their stash of those in the minors. Palmer’s middle name, it’s worth noting, is Rollin. Twine Rollin Palmer. This guy wins the name game. But no one wins the trade.”
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.”
RHP Andrew Kittredge to Cubs 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. That’s how the Houston Astros acquired Yordan Alvarez (in exchange for Josh Fields in 2016) and the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Oneil Cruz (for Tony Watson in 2017).”
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. He was a well-regarded international prospect, however, and his 27 games in the Dominican Summer League show some promising results. Most notably, more walks than strikeouts and a .442 OBP.”
LHP Gregory Soto to Mets 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, featuring a fastball in the upper 90s that has topped out at 101. That’s the good news. The ‘Why did the Mets trade him?’ news is that he has walked 35 batters. He has a cutter and a slider, but the profile here suggests he might end up as a reliever. Still, a decent return for a non-elite reliever such as Soto. Foster is a 26-year-old reliever who crushed Double-A in repeating the level this season (1.01 ERA), although he struggled in his first two outings after a recent promotion to Triple-A (seven runs in 3.2 innings). Given all the trades the Orioles will make, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pop up in the big league bullpen at some point this season.”
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. It’s not out of the question that at least one of the two becomes a valuable big league reliever, which feels like the proper return for two months of a good bullpen lefty.”
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.”
RHP Seranthony Domínguez to Blue Jays for pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown
The Athletic’s Zack Meisel: A-
“In the case of Watts-Brown, Toronto’s third-round pick in 2023, the right-hander 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. He ranked No. 15 on Keith Law’s spring list of top Blue Jays prospects. MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 10 in Toronto’s system. That’s a worthwhile get for a reliever Baltimore doesn’t really need in a lost season.”
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. And yet, they’ve gotten back a guy who had been Toronto’s No. 10 prospect and is now their No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. If Watts-Brown’s development as a starter falters, his slider could make him an effective reliever in the long run.”
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon.
