We weren’t sure if the Orioles would move fan-favorite Trey Mancini, even with him entering free agency at the end of the 2022 season. They pulled the trigger, sending him to the Houston Astros in a three-team trade. Here is the full deal, with the parenthesis signaling where each play came from:
To Houston: 1B Trey Mancini (BAL), RHP Jayden Murray (TB)
To Baltimore: RHP Seth Johnson (TB), RHP Chayce McDermott (HOU)
To Tampa Bay: OF Jose Siri (HOU)
Let’s start with Houston, since Mancini is the top name in the trade. Yuli Gurriel is having a rough season and the Astros could use another bat. Mancini is a proven one, although he has no playoff experience. With a 114 OPS+, he has been a solid hitter for a rag-tag Baltimore team this year. He is also cheaper than Josh Bell, who seemed like the other option for Houston. They also bring home Murray, who has been a quality AA starter this season.
Mancini, 30, has hit 10 home runs with a .347 OBP, and a .751 OPS in 401 Plate Appearances for the Orioles this year. In his MLB career, all in Baltimore, Mancini has hit 117 homers with a .797 OPS in 2933 Plate Appearances.
Murray, 25, has a 3.24 ERA with 73 strikeouts and a 1.190 WHIP in 80.2 innings between AA and AAA this year, with only one start at the higher level. In his minor league career, the former 23rd round pick has a 2.61 ERA with 216 strikeouts and a 0.935 WHIP in 217 innings pitched.
The Orioles end up with two arms who were both ranked in their organization by MLB Pipeline. Johnson was Tampa Bay’s 6th best prospect, and McDermott was Houston’s 12th. Johnson is set to have Tommy John surgery, making him more of a trade chip for Tampa Bay than previously. He was a supplemental first round pick in the 2019 draft and has been dominant in the low levels of the minors. McDermott has a high ERA this season, but has a ton of strikeouts and control issues. He was a 4th round pick in 2021 out of Ball State.
Johnson, 23, has a 3.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts and a 1.259 WHIP in 27 innings at High-A Bowling Green this season. In his minor league career, Johnson has a 2.81 ERA with 172 strikeouts and a 1.257 WHIP in 137.2 innings pitched.
McDermott, 23, has a 5.50 ERA with 114 strikeouts, 43 walks, and a 1.389 WHIP in 72 innings pitched for High-A Asheville this season. He has a 4.92 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 93.1 career MiLB innings.
The Rays ended up trading a lot of paper, but they ended up with an outfielder who brings a lot to the table. To do so, they had to get rid of a fan favorite (just like the Orioles did) in Brett Phillips, who was designated for assignment. Siri has not hit well in the majors this season, but has speed and phenomenal outfield defense. He has also been a star in the minor leagues offensively. Siri could be trained as the next Kevin Kiermaier until the Rays trade their longest tenured player away.
Siri, 27, has three home runs with six stolen bases and a .542 OPS in 147 Plate Appearances for the Astros this year, and nine home runs with a 1.121 OPS in 16 AAA games. In 140 career AAA games (roughly a full season), Siri has hit 25 home runs with 31 stolen bases, a .290 average, and an OPS of .867.
CarterHud 