The Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles have made a significant trade, swapping right-hander Shane Baz for five pieces, including three first round picks
In return, the Rays receive outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn, and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, according to Jeff Passan at ESPN.
This intradivision trade marks a rare deal between AL East rivals, with the Orioles capitalizing on their deep farm system to land a high-upside
arm with three years of club control remaining. Baz, once part of the Chris Archer trade with the Pirates, brings punch to Baltimore’s rotation as the team aims to build on recent success and upward momentum after signing Pete Alonso.
But don’t miss that the Rays add a haul of young talent and an extra draft pick from one of baseball’s deepest farms:
- Caden Bodine, C: Drafted in the 1st round in 2025 (30th overall), Bodine is a true switch-hitting catcher with both an advanced hit tool and defensive skills. He was drafted out of Costal Carolina after having one of the strongest showings at the plate in the Cape Code League.
- Slater de Brun, OF: A 2025 draft pick (Competitive Balance Round A, 37th overall) out of high school in Oregon. The athletic left-handed hitter brings speed, defensive capability in center field despite being undersized for the role, and intriguing upside. His draft pick was traded by the Rays to the O’s for reliever Bryan Baker.
- Michael Forret, RHP: A rising pitching prospect who is up to 97 with the fastball from a 6-3 frame, finally offering a fastball to compliment his plus slider and curve. Coming off his age-21 season in Double-A, he stunned with a 1.58 ERA over 74.0 IP across High-A and Double-A.
- Austin Overn, OF: Drafted 97th overall in 2024, Overn is an athletic outfielder with plus-plus speed, capable of impacting games on the bases and in the field. Like Bodine, Overn has showed promising offensive tools in the Cape Cod League in 2024.
- Competitive Balance Round A Pick: Essentially a third first round pick in this trade return.
This is a massive influx of talent to the Rays minor league system. It will be interesting to see if the Rays plan to keep all five of these pieces, or if some might be flipped in later deals.
