Orioles deal Miguel Castro, acquire prospect Kevin Smith at Trade Deadline

Just before the MLB Trade Deadline passed at 4 p.m., Aug. 31, the Baltimore Orioles made a move to acquire left-handed pitcher Kevin Smith from the New York Mets. The Orioles shipped relief pitcher Miguel Castro to New York in exchange for Smith. This trade concludes a month in which the O’s made four separate trades.

Smith, a 6-foot-5 lefty, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft and was ranked 12th in New York’s farm system. This transaction comes a day after Baltimore acquired two prospects from the Colorado Rockies: Tyler Nevin and Terrin Vavra.

The lefty bounced between starting games and coming out of the bullpen during his college career at Georgia, while the Mets used him primarily as a starter in Single-A. Smith uses a combination of a fastball, slider and changeup and has been dominant in his career against left-handed hitters.

In his rookie season, Smith pitched in 12 games for the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones and recorded a dominant 4-1 record and 0.76 ERA through 23.2 innings. In 2019, Smith started in 23 games in Single-A and Double-A; he combined for a 8-7 record with a 3.15 ERA across 117 innings pitched.

The Mets kept Smith in high regard amongst their prospects, which surely resonates well, as Mike Elias and the Orioles continue to strengthen their farm system.

The 25-year-old Castro heads to New York after four years with the Orioles. In the shortened season thus far, Castro pitched 15.2 innings and recorded a 1-0 record with a 4.02 ERA. Castro was a serviceable bullpen arm in his time with the O’s, but this trade was highly expected.

In addition to Smith, the Orioles have reported received another player to be named or cash considerations.

Stay tuned to The Baltimore Battery for updates on the player to be named, as well as other up-to-date Orioles news!