Zach Eflin, who has been the anchor of the Tampa Bay Rays' starting rotation for the past two seasons, is joining the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the trade deadline.
Right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister, utility man Mac Horvath and outfielder Matthew Etzel are headed back to Tampa Bay as part of the deal, perEtzel, the Orioles' 10th round pick from 2023, was not ranked among the organization's top 30 prospects byLast year, Eflin went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.024 WHIP and 3.5 WAR in 31 starts. He led the American League with 16 wins, finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting and tossed 57.2 more innings than any other Tampa Bay pitcher.
The Rays signed Eflin to a three-year, $40 million deal in the 2023 offseason, which was the biggest contract the franchise had ever given to an outside free agent. He spent the previous seven seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, going 36-45 with a 4.49 ERA, 1.295 WHIP and 7.0 WAR. Tampa Bay is currently fourth in the AL East and sixth in the AL Wild Card race, so the front office clearly wasn't afraid to sell. They already tradedAs for the Orioles, they sit atop the AL East and are on pace for a second consecutive 100-win season.
Baltimore swung for the fences when they acquired former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in February, and Burnes wound up starting the All-Star Game for the American League last week. Still, the Orioles lost John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells to season-ending elbow surgies in June, meaning they were in dire need of adding another starter ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.
Eflin fits the bill, and the 30-year-old righty is under contract for 2025 as well. Burnes, meanwhile, is set to become a free agent this winter.Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tampa Bay Rays' Drew Rasmussen, Recovering From Elbow Surgery, Shines in Rehab StartDrew Rasmussen underwent an internal brace procedure in July 2023, and now the Tampa Bay Rays righty is working his way back to the big leagues with Triple-A Durham.
Read more »
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop uses Trump-like celebration after double against YankeesTaylor Walls pulled up at second base before pumping his fist and saying 'fight' during Sunday's game.
Read more »
What channel is the New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays game today (7/22/24)?The New York Yankees face the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
Read more »
What channel is the New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays game today (7/20/24)?The New York Yankees face the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
Read more »
Tampa Bay Rays Make Amazingly Random Baseball History on SaturdayThe Tampa Bay Rays blew out the New York Yankees on Saturday, but the way they did it hasn't happened in more than 60 years of history.
Read more »
Tampa Bay Rays Go Viral For Donald Trump Themed CelebrationOn the same day that the St. Louis Cardinals broke out a likely ode to Donald Trump as a celebration, the Tampa Bay Rays did the same thing.
Read more »