With the MLB trade deadline approaching in a few weeks, the Baltimore Orioles are thoroughly researching all potential pitching options. They have secured Colin Selby through a trade with the Kansas City Royals.
The announcement of the move was made on X, previously known as Twitter, on July 11.
Selby, a right-handed pitcher in his sixth year, has a career 8.67 ERA in MLB. This season, he has thrown 20 innings for the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A affiliate.
In the minors, Selby achieved 26 strikeouts in 18 games and maintained a 5.85 ERA. Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports provided details of the transaction and the right-hander’s transfer to an Orioles’ minor league team.
“On July 11, the Orioles acquired 26-year-old right-hander Colin Selby from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations and sent him to Triple-A Norfolk,” Kubatko reported. “To free up space on the complete 40-man roster, Kyle Bradish was put on the 60-day injured list.”
Selby is expected to stay with Triple-A as a contingency plan in case of further rotation injuries.
Kyle Bradish had Tommy John surgery on June 19. His transfer to the 60-Day Injured List was a matter of when, not if.
Orioles, Royals Have Trade History
Baltimore’s previous exchange of cash considerations with Kansas City had positive results when they acquired Ryan O’Hearn in January 2023.
Since then, O’Hearn has been a regular player for the Orioles, primarily at designated hitter and first base positions.
O’Hearn currently holds a .279/.338/.458 slash line with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs this season, a significant improvement from his performance with the Royals from 2020 to 2022, during which he hit only 12 home runs.
Yordan Alvarez was chosen over O’Hearn for the designated hitter position in this year’s All-Star game, with O’Hearn garnering 48% of the votes.
Expressing his perspective to Roch Kubatko on July 7, O’Hearn stated, “When you have a team of this caliber and only three guys get to go, yeah, it definitely sucks. It is what it is. Very happy for Corbin and Gunnar and Adley. They’re extremely deserving.”
O’Hearn inked a two-year agreement before the season and has a $7.5 million team option for 2025.
It is probable that the trade with the Royals will continue to yield benefits, perhaps even into 2025.
As Baltimore’s turbulent bullpen season progresses, a new pitcher will soon make an appearance at Camden Yards.
On July 11, the team revealed their addition of former Miami Marlins reliever Burch Smith to the 40-man roster.
As part of this move, Dillon Tate is being sent down to Triple-A. Tate has pitched 33.1 innings this season, allowing 19 runs for a 4.25 ERA.
Smith played 25 games with the Marlins this season, maintaining a 4.25 ERA over 29.2 innings and recording 23 strikeouts. His performance for the Norfolk Tides in Triple-A was impressive, pitching two scoreless innings.
Evidently, the Orioles believe there’s more to Smith’s success in Triple-A than just luck, as they integrate him into the team with expectations of an active role.
Baltimore has conceded 53 runs in the month of July alone, spanning several games. Introducing a fresh arm to the depleted rotation is a positive move. However, whether Smith can fulfill a role beyond that remains uncertain until his debut.
It’s anticipated that the Orioles will pursue a trade for a more established reliever—and perhaps a starter—prior to the July 30 deadline.
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