Orioles nab former first round pick who has been a thorn in the side of the Blue Jays

A trade on Friday (Dec. 19) didn't do the Toronto Blue Jays any favours. It was a rare deal in which both teams seemingly got what they needed. And even rarer that both teams are in the same division, making a trade ahead of a season in which they both expect to be competing.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles came to terms on a deal that sends RHP Shane Baz from the Rays to the Orioles, in exchange for four prospects.

Orioles nab former first round pick who has been a thorn in the side of the Blue Jays

For the Orioles, it comes out as a good deal for them because pitching felt like their most glaring need going into the offseason. Last year, the Orioles starting rotation accumulated a combined 8.1 fWAR, which ranked 24th in the league. They had an ERA of 4.65, an xERA of 4.58 and gave up home runs at a 1.48 HR/9 clip.

But they've spent most of the offseason beefing up their lineup. First, trading for slugging outfielder Taylor Ward in a deal with the LA Angels, then signing one of the best power bats on the market, in first baseman Pete Alonso. They also addressed the bullpen by signing Ryan Helsley to a two-year deal. However, they had yet to address the starting rotation, until Friday.

Getting 26-year-old Shane Baz could be one of the more underrated moves of the offseason when it's all said and done. When the former first round pick has been healthy he has been very good. After missing the entire 2023 season he got back on the mound in '24 and started 14 games for the Rays and accumulated a 2.2 bWAR by pitching to a 3.06 ERA in 79.1 innings while racking up 69 strikeouts.

While he wasn't exactly dominant in '25, his strikeout numbers increase to 9.5 SO/9 while throwing a career high 166.1 innings in 31 starts with a fastball that sit's in the 88th percentile. While he posted a 4.87 ERA, his xERA was 3.85 indicating he was better than his raw numbers showcase. He's also been terrific in his six career starts against Toronto.

Baz has held the Blue Jays to a .198/.260/.353 slash line, with 32 strikeouts and just nine walks in those head-to-head contests. He's faced 127 batters and has a 0.990 WHIP. This past season he started three games against Toronto totaling 15.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and in two of those starts he allowed a combined six hits and one earned run as the Rays won all three of his starts against the Blue Jays.

And while the Orioles had to give up a decent package to get him, the Rays, throughout their history have managed to turn those prospect packages into useful major leaguers. Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Michael Forret and Austin Overn were the prospects moved and they could become names that give the Blue Jays fits for years to come. The Rays turned a front of the rotation starter into four players who were on the Orioles Top 30 prospects list. RHP Forret was ranked No. 7, outfielder de Brun was ranked No. 8, catcher Bodine was ranked No. 13 and outfielder Overn was ranked No. 22.

This quartet, along with the two prospects the Rays got in the three-team trade that involved Pittsburgh and Houston nets the Rays six high level prospects all in one day. In that deal they acquired outfield prospect Jacob Melton (Astros No. 2 prospect) and RHP Anderson Brito (Astros No. 7 prospect) while sending Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery to the Pirates. The AL East continues to be one of the busiest divisions this offseason as it feels like everyone is intent on toppling the Blue Jays in 2026.