Orioles Trade Bryan Baker for First Round Draft Pick, Record MLB Draft Bonus Pool

With the trade deadline just 3 weeks away, the Orioles are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  They have a roster that’s capable of making a true World Series run if healthy.  Injuries, underperformance, and inconsistency has led this team to be looking in from the outside in the playoff picture.

As of July 11th the Orioles are 8 games below .500, and 6 games back in the Wild Card race.  But with the MLB Draft this weekend, and the trade deadline in 3 weeks, they’re being forced to make decisions about the direction of the franchise this year, and years to come today.

Many Orioles fans are a bit puzzled that they would trade a reliever that has improved to be one of the best on the team, and is under team control until 2028.  We believed that Dominguez, Soto, and Kittredge were much more likely to be traded due to their contract status.

The trade gives the Orioles another draft selection where they now have 4 first round draft selections, and have 7 selections in the first 93 selections.  This has led them to have a record bonus pool money, and will give them a ton of flexibility to restock the minor league cupboard with talent.

“All the drafts are important, but when you have this amount of picks, it becomes more important, there’s no question about it,” Elias said. “There’s just a much bigger opportunity ahead of us, and the draft is a lifeblood for our franchise.”

MLB Draft - Orioles Accrue Record Bonus Pool

With the 2025 MLB Draft right around the corner, Orioles fans should be excited.  They’ve been able to accrue a massive advantage in the draft to land high end talent.  That advantage is bonus pool money.

The Orioles will enter the draft with $19,144,500 available to sign their picks.  A record since the bonus pool era started in 2012.

Each pick is worth a certain amount of dollars toward signing your rookie draft, and serves as an expectation of what that player will be given as a signing bonus.  By paying overslot for a player you might be able to dissuade a later high school draft pick from going to college.  

The Orioles used this strategy to draft Gunnar Henderson in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft at pick 42.

Now with a record amount of cash, 4 1st round picks, plus 3 more in the first 93 picks, the Orioles have plenty of shots on goal in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Orioles Bullpen Opens Up for Selby, Wolfram & More

The Orioles bullpen has been a strength of the team for years, and 2025 is no exception.  Now that the Orioles traded one of their best relievers it gives others opportunities to step up.

This is exactly where Mike Elias has thrived, finding and developing high end bullpen talent.

Bryan Baker is another example of the Orioles pitching brass working with a player to make him the best he can be.

Now that opportunity shifts towards potential relievers for next year and beyond.  Queue Colin Selby and Grant Wolfram.  Both of these guys have had time with the major league roster this year, but with a spot open up the Orioles will be able to use this spot in the bullpen to develop pitchers for next year.

Expect the Orioles to add more bullpen names as the season progresses.

Bryan Baker: A Fiery Farewell to the Flamethrower Reliever

Bryan Baker has been a solid part of the Orioles bullpen for the past three years.  He was having his best year in Baltimore too.

After a couple years of inconsistency, the right handed flamethrower had been one of the most reliable guys out of the pen this year.  His high leverage role led to plenty of fired up Bryan Baker moments.

Baker ended up posting a 3.52 ERA, striking out 49 batters and with a 1.096 WHIP in 38 1/3 innings with the Orioles.  And until a 4 run implosion against the Mets the day prior to him being traded, he had even better numbers.

2025 MLB Draft Force Mike Elias’ Hand

Bryan Baker probably would have been still on the Orioles if the return hadn’t been a draft pick.  The MLB Draft is right around the corner though, and the Rays approached the Orioles about trading for Baker.

Mike Elias spoke with the media about the direction of the franchise, and indicated that this move makes the Orioles trending in the direction of sellers.  However there was plenty of time for the club to make up games, and turn that decision around.

The MLB Draft just forced this one trade to happen, and when you look at what the Orioles were able to get in return for a reliever that is out of minor league options you have to be pretty happy.

The Orioles are expecting pitchers to be coming back in the back half of the season, and trading Baker allows them to open space for that depth. Let’s hope that some of these other arms will be able to step into these high leverage opportunities.