Orioles acquire pitcher in sneaky trade with Braves

The Baltimore Orioles have had it rough so far this season as the club finds itself 13 games behind the first-placed New York Yankees in the AL East. They’re also in last place in the division, which doesn’t bode well for Baltimore’s chances right now. However, on Friday, the front office pulled off a sneaky trade with the Atlanta Braves to improve the bullpen.

Reports indicate that the Orioles added relief pitcher Scott Blewett via trade, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Baltimore gave the Braves cash considerations for the 29-year-old reliever.

“The Orioles reinstated OF Ramón Laureano from the 10-day Injured List and acquired RHP Scott Blewett from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations. Blewett has not yet reported. OF Jordyn Adams has been designated for assignment.”

Atlanta made the deal after making a plethora of moves to its bullpen. The Braves added Craig Kimbrel to the major league roster, recalled Dylan Dodd, and also placed Daysbel Hernández on the 15-day injured list. The Orioles capitalized and picked up Blewett, who should make an immediate impact once he’s officially on the roster.

Blewett has played in 15 games so far this season and has been solid on the mound. Through 25.1 innings pitched, he’s recorded a 3.91 ERA and 1.421 WHIP while totaling 24 strikeouts. He’s more of a middle reliever, though, and likely won’t pick up any holds or saves for the Orioles, as that’s not necessarily his forte.

Despite that, he brings consistency to the table for the Orioles’ bullpen, which should help the pitching in Baltimore in general. That’s been a key issue for this franchise in recent years. But it’s seemingly an even bigger problem right now, as the offense has been largely lacking this season, which hasn’t been the case in previous seasons.

Adding Blewett could be the first move made ahead of the trade deadline. The Orioles do have numerous enticing prospects ready for the majors, but the roster is currently crowded. We’ll see what the front office plans to do in the coming weeks with the trade deadline falling on July 31.