Orioles Acquire Outfield Depth in Trade with Guardians

Rodriguez was drafted in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Guardians. Before being drafted, Rodriguez was trained at the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico, and he has some prospect pedigree with success at the minor league level. He suited up in 44 games for the Guardians, posting a .176/.282/.304 slash line with a pair of home runs, 15 RBI, and a stolen base.

Rustad has yet to make his MLB debut, but racked up an ERA of 3.23 and a 1.19 WHIP in 33 appearances last season in the O’s farm system. The 24-year-old from Mizzou flashed some upside, with a near 25% strikeout rate in 2025, although his 10% walk rate wasn’t ideal. In two games with the Orioles this spring, Rustad had a bloated 45.00 ERA and 4.50 WHIP in 1.1 innings of work.

The trade for Rodriguez shows that the Orioles are taking the current injury situation seriously and prioritizing a healthy outfield. Heston Kjerstad had started the season on the injured list with a hamstring strain that he suffered during Spring Training. The former first-rounder has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues, especially compared to some of Baltimore’s other top prospects. Tyler O’Neill’s injury history is also well-documented, so the O’s are likely just protecting themselves with plenty of depth at the position.

Rodriguez profiles as a strong right-handed bat, not dissimilar to Jhonkensy Noel, another power-hitting outfielder the Orioles added from Cleveland in the offseason. The two will be reunited in Norfolk for the time being, although Noel turned some heads with his 1.157 OPS this spring, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Big Christmas at Camden Yards later this year. In 252 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, Rodriguez posted a .925 OPS with 282 hits, including 56 home runs.

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