BOSTON -- Even before their relievers ran into a rare skid recently, the Rays were actively looking for bullpen help ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline.
They found some on Thursday, acquiring right-hander Bryan Baker from the Orioles in exchange for the 37th overall pick in Sunday’s MLB Draft. The Rays optioned reliever Eric Orze to Triple-A Durham to make room in their bullpen and shifted outfielder/infielder Richie Palacios (right knee sprain) to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot for Baker on their 40-man roster.
Baker joined the Rays at Fenway Park a few hours before their series opener against the Red Sox on Thursday night. His debut didn’t go as planned, as he showed an uncharacteristic lack of command to start the seventh inning and turned a two-run lead into a 4-3 defeat.
TRADE DETAILS
Rays get: RHP Bryan Baker
Orioles get: Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick (37th overall)
“I just didn't come in ready to roll,” Baker said afterward. “I think I was just kind of struggling getting calibrated there for the first two or three hitters.”
Baker walked only nine of the 151 batters he faced with the Orioles this season, then he issued free passes to the first two he faced Thursday night. Both came around to score on hits by Marcelo Mayer and Ceddanne Rafaela before Baker retired Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony and Abraham Toro in order.
That was the unfortunate conclusion of a hectic day for Baker. He was getting ready to play catch at Camden Yards on Thursday morning when word of the deal reached him. He gathered his gear, hurried home to pack a suitcase and caught a flight to Boston, finishing the day with his new team after starting it with his old one.
Baker wouldn’t blame his performance on what he had previously called a “whirlwind” of events, though.
“I'm not going to make any excuses, but yeah, it doesn't take a whole lot for us large guys to kind of get out of sync and kind of start spraying a little bit,” he said. “No excuses. Just got to be better.”
The Rays expect he will be, which is why they completed Thursday’s deal three weeks before the Trade Deadline.
“Feel like he's organized his abilities in a way where we think the best version of him is the one that we've seen this year,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Baker had put together a 3.52 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 38 1/3 innings over 42 appearances this season. His peripherals were even more impressive, as he struck out 49 batters while walking only nine. And he comes with three additional years of team control before reaching free agency.
Armed with a fastball averaging 96.7 mph this season, an upper-80s slider and an excellent changeup, the 30-year-old will join the Rays’ late-inning mix as a versatile, one-inning option against right-handed and left-handed hitters in front of closer Pete Fairbanks.
“Something that we probably needed. He's going to add to it,” manager Kevin Cash said before the game. “He's pitched really well for the Orioles this year, and he's gotten outs against us. It'll be nice to be able to hand him the ball and get some outs for us now.”
And the group has had its share of issues lately, as the Rays’ 7.21 bullpen ERA over the previous two weeks was the second-worst mark in the Majors. This month alone, they’ve wasted multi-run leads in five of the team’s six losses.
Team officials expect their relievers to bounce back, and the looming return of high-leverage right-hander Manuel Rodríguez following the addition of Baker should help even more.
“Our guys out there are working their tail off. It's a good group. They're going to be better,” Neander said. “But it's not a direct response to the recent outcomes. This is something we've been after and looking for for some time.”
Making trades weeks before the Trade Deadline can often be difficult, especially as front offices turn their attention to the upcoming Draft. In this case, though, the timing worked in Tampa Bay’s favor.
The Rays were slated to have six Day 1 Draft picks, including two in Competitive Balance Round A after acquiring the 42nd pick from the Athletics in an offseason trade for Jeffrey Springs. With the Draft only days away, their willingness to part with the 37th pick led to an earlier-than-usual deal getting done.
“A Draft pick that has an expiration date on it served as a catalyst to move some conversations along,” Neander said. “We're drafting players, and the goal is to turn them into big leaguers. And this Draft pick turned into a big leaguer very quickly.”