Shane Baz Reportedly Traded to Orioles From Rays, Scouting Reports on Prospect Return
The Baltimore Orioles reportedly added pitcher Shane Baz to their rotation Friday, but they gave up quite the haul of prospects in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Rays sent Baz to their American League East rivals in exchange for outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-hander Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick.
As MLB Pipeline indicated, de Brun, Bodine, Forret and Overn were all considered top-30 prospects in the Orioles' system with three of them ranked in the top 11.
There was a time when Baz was also considered a highly regarded prospect.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected him out of high school in the first round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft. He didn't make his major league debut until 2021 when he was with the Rays, and he missed the entire 2023 campaign because of injury.
Yet he bounced back with his best individual season in 2024 and posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 79.1 innings across 14 different starts. It seemed like he was well on his way to becoming a consistent starter if he could replicate those numbers over the course of more experience.
He was unable to do that in 2025.
While Baz pitched a career-high 166.1 innings over 31 starts, his numbers took something of a dip with a 4.87 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He did finish with 176 strikeouts, though, and he proved he can pitch over the course of an entire season.
Still, the Orioles gave up quite a lot in prospect value for someone who had just under a 5.00 ERA last season even if he is signed under team control through the 2028 campaign.
De Brun is the headliner, and MLB.com's scouting report highlighted his "very impressive bat-to-ball skills with an advanced eye at the plate" that help make up for the lack of significant power.
His speed helps on the basepaths and in the field, and the same can be said about Overn.
"Those wheels make him a legitimately disruptive threat on the bases and a double-plus defender in center field, where he uses good reads, instincts and body awareness to run down balls other defenders can't," Overn's scouting report said. "Overn's athleticism allows him to make such an impact with his glove and feet it'll likely keep him in center long-term despite what might be a tick-below-average arm."
As for Bodine, his "contact skills" as a switch hitter should help him in the major leagues, while Forret brings "two potentially plus fastballs—a mid-90s four-seamer that touches 97 and a runny two-seamer" to the mound.
In an ideal world for the Rays, they will all be impact players who help make up for the loss of Baz.
