We know, now that you’re reading this, you will find out it wasn’t Garrett Crochet or Luis Robert Jr. who was dealt.
The Orioles set out to get releivers, starting pitchers and a right-handed bat this deadline. By the time the clock hit 6:00 p.m. EST, the Birds had done all of the above, and the biggest name they gave up was their No. 5 overall prospect, infielder Connor Norby.
Right before the deadline approached, news broke that the Orioles acquired two right-handed-hitting outfielders in Eloy Jiménez and Austin Slater.
Jiménez was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020 with the Chicago White Sox. Though injuries have slowed his career down, Jiménez has shown that when healthy, he is a strong hitter.
In 65 games this year, Jiménez is slashing .240/.297/.345/.642 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He has even stolen his first three bases of his career this season.
Jiménez has only played in 120-plus games twice in his career, as he has had eight stints on the IL, two on the 60-day IL. For his career, he is slashing .270/.321/.461/.790 with 94 home runs across 501 games. He has driven in 291 runs while scoring 226.
Though he has primarily played DH this year, he does have the ability to play the corner outfield in a pinch. He will provide a power-first right-handed bat in the lineup.
Jiménez has a club option for next season and the following season, so his ability to produce down the stretch will determine if the Orioles keep him around next season and possibly beyond.
The Orioles have sent minor league reliever Trey McGough to the White Sox to complete the trade.
As for Slater, he, along with Liván Soto, whom the O’s acquired earlier this year and designated for assignment, were acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Slater is on the move for the second time this month, as Cincinnati acquired him in a deal with the San Francisco Giants three weeks ago. He’s been a solid defender with a right-handed bat that performs well with the platoon advantage. He’s hit just .226/.316/.334 against righties in his career, but his slash against southpaws is .274/.364/.433.
On the defensive side of things, Slater has close to 3,000 outfield innings to his name, with almost 1,200 of those in center field. He has the ability to play all three outfield spots and first base in a pinch.
We want to welcome Eloy Jiménez and Austin Slater to Baltimore and look forward to them helping drive the Birds into a deep postseason run.
What do you think of these moves? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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