Orioles' farm system rejuvenated by trade deadline additions

A farm system that was amongst the best in baseball not too long ago has thinned out recently, with so many players graduating to the major leagues or being used as trade chips to upgrade a roster that was playoff-bound. But the Orioles' trade hauls, along with a 21-player draft class this year, have helped restock an organization that was desperate for an infusion of talent.

Out of the 15 prospects Baltimore added, six of them landed inside their top 30 prospects list, which is tied for the second-most in baseball with the Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins; only the Arizona Diamondbacks had more, with nine.

In particular, the Orioles did an excellent job at bringing in high-upside arms. Their system has been able to churn out position players with regularity, but had struggled to develop pitchers. That could change in the near future with two exciting additions: left-hander Boston Bateman and right-hander Juaron Watts-Brown.

Bateman was part of the six-player haul acquired from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Laureano and O’Hearn, and has landed at No. 6 in the team’s organizational rankings; he is the second-highest ranked pitcher in Baltimore's system behind only Esteban Mejia. Joining him in the top 10 is Watts-Brown, who was acquired from their AL East rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for Dominguez; he ranks ninth on Baltimore's prospect list.

Both players are a few years away from contributing at the major league level, with Bateman at Single-A and Watts-Brown at Double-A, but the future is certainly bright for the Orioles on the mound.