Not every decision a general manager makes is the right one.
Every move is put under a microscope and analyzed from all angles. Baltimore Orioles GM Mike Elias stayed busy in the weeks leading up to the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline. One deal he made hasn’t resonated well with the Orioles fan base.
Baltimore’s search for starting pitching depth led to the acquisition of Trevor Rogers from the Miami Marlins. In exchange, the Orioles gave up two young pieces: outfielder Kyle Stowers and infielder Connor Norby, one of Baltimore’s top prospects.
None of the three players involved amounted to much with their new teams in the closing stages of the 2024 season. Rogers started only four games before being demoted by the O’s, while Stowers and Norby combined for a .215 batting average in over 300 at-bats with the Marlins.
However, Stowers transformed into an All-Star caliber player with a red-hot April. Norby’s emergence in May has only made the trade look worse for the Orioles.
The duo is hitting .293 this season, with one-third of their hits going for extra bases. Stowers ranks in the top 10 in the National League in batting average (5th), slugging percentage (10th), and on-base plus slugging percentage (9th).
His Baseball Savant page backs up the hot start. Stowers is in the 90th percentile or higher in batting run value, expected slugging percentage, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate.
Norby is bouncing back nicely after an oblique injury forced him to miss the first three weeks of the season. While he’s not quite replicating the power numbers he had in the minors (.495 slug compared to .439 in the bigs), Norby is finding more consistent contact.
He recorded a hit in 17 of 22 games in May before Wednesday, and has six multi-hit games in the month.
Trevor Rogers’ redemption doesn’t hide Orioles’ trade mistake
Just as the Marlins are getting improved production from Stowers and Norby, the Orioles opt to keep Rogers in the minors, even after a strong outing in his first MLB start of 2025.
Rogers blanked the Boston Red Sox through 6 1/3 innings on May 24, a game the O’s won in the ninth inning. He allowed only three of the 22 hitters he faced to reach base, retiring 16 straight at one point. It was his longest start for the Orioles and the first time he pitched into the seventh inning since last June.
Baltimore immediately optioned Rogers to Triple-A Norfolk, despite the prolonged struggles of the rotation. The Orioles instead plugged Charlie Morton back into the rotation, overlooking his 10.20 ERA in six starts because of slightly better numbers in the bullpen.
Morton’s seventh start for Baltimore was his best in an Orioles uniform, as he limited the St. Louis Cardinals to two runs across six innings. That will likely net the veteran a few more turns in the rotation, while Rogers tries to impress in Norfolk.
Hindsight makes this trade look worse than it probably is. The Orioles prioritized pitching at last year’s deadline and parted with two prospects who were blocked from regular MLB playing time.
Injuries and poor play might have led Baltimore to insert Stowers and Norby into the lineup daily. Instead, they’re mainstays for the Marlins as the Orioles search for answers from their weak offense.
