MLB Trade Rumors: Shane Baz is going to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn, catcher Caden Bodine, pitcher Michael Forret, and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, per multiple reports.
Baz, 26, was a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, and was sent to the Rays, along with Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows, in the deal that saw Chris Archer land in Pittsburgh. That did not work out well for the Pirates.
Archer, incidentally, was acquired
by the Rays back in January of 2011 in the deal that sent Matt Garza to the Cubs. Robinson Chirinos and Sam Fuld also were in that trade. Garza, meanwhile, was acquired by the Rays in November, 2007, as part of a six player deal with the Minnesota Twins that sent Delmon Young to the Twins. The Rays had taken Young first overall in the 2003 draft. Thus, this trade is part of a chain of moves by the Rays that started over 20 years ago.
Baz had a disappointing 2025 season, putting up a 4.87 ERA and 4.37 FIP in 166 innings over 31 starts, though he did put up a 3.85 xERA. Baz missed all of 2023 and much of 2021, 2022 and 2024 due to injuries. He appears to be under team control for three more years, at three years and 158 days of service time.
Only Forret cracked the BA top 10 prospect list for the O’s this offseason, and he came in at #8. A 14th rounder in 2023, he split 2024 between low-A and high-A, then had a strong 2025 season at high-A before getting a late season promotion to AA for three starts.
de Brun, 18, was selected by the Orioles with the 37th overall pick in the 2025 draft, getting a well above slot $4 million signing bonus.
Bodine, 22, was selected by the Orioles with the 30th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Coastal Carolina.
Overn, 22, was a third round pick of the Orioles out of USC in the 2024 draft, and put up a .249/.355/.399 slash line between high-A and AA in 2025 while playing all three outfield positions.
