Shane

Baz

The Orioles dealt for Baz just last month to help spearhead their rotation. The 26-year-old has struggled to regain his pre-injury form since his once elite slider has not come back and posted a 4.87 ERA over 166 1/3 innings in 2025. However, he did have a strong 24.8 strikeout rate and added a cutter in the second half of the season that could help fuel a bit of a breakout in his new home.

Baz has always possessed more raw talent than his surface stats have shown and baed on the massive haul of prospects they were willing to give up, it appears as though the Orioles are a big believer that he can be a frontline piece of their rotation. The 26-year-old former top prospect registered a pedestrian 4.87 ERA — 4.37 FIP — 1.34 WHIP and 176/64 K/BB ratio over a career-high 166 1/3 frames across 31 starts this past season. His familiarity with the AL East is a bonus but the move from pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field to Camden Yards won’t do him any favors from a run-prevention standpoint. He’s an interesting middle-round upside gamble for fantasy purposes next spring.

In return, the Rays will receive a package of minor league players that includes outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn, catcher Caden Bodine and right-hander Michael Forret as well as a Competitive Balance Round A pick. The deal is still pending medicals. Baz posted a disappointing 4.87 ERA over 166 1/3 innings in 2025 despite a strong 24.8 strikeout rate. He represents a major upgrade to the Orioles’ rotation mix.

Rome and Rosenthal add that a potential deal is not believed to be close with some league sources characterizing Baz as unlikely to be traded but other sources indicated that the two sides discussed the framework of a potential deal. The 26-year-old former top prospect finished last season with a lackluster 4.87 ERA (4.37 FIP) but did post an encouraging 24.8 percent strikeout rate over 166 1/3 innings across a career-high 31 starts.

The Rays had already backed off Baz prior to tonight, so he was pulled after 49 pitches despite having a no-hitter intact. Baz ends the year with a very disappointing 4.87 ERA, but his 25% strikeout rate was pretty good and both his xERA and his SIERA are about a run lower than his ERA. Back in a friendlier pitching environment at the Trop next year, he should be quite the sleeper pick.

Baz struck out four and walked one while throwing just 74 pitches. With the Rays trying to curb his workload some, he’s topped out at 83 pitches in four starts this month. After Baz left, Griffin Jax, Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker pitched scoreless frames to finish the shutout. Baz moved to 10-12 with a 4.99 ERA. He’s due for one final start next week against the Orioles.

The 26-year-old right-hander struck out five batters on the afternoon while issuing three free passes. He worked a scoreless first inning, then ran into a buzzsaw in the second where the Cubs got to him for three runs to tie the game. Baz then returned for the third and after getting the first out allowed a walk, triple, hit by pitch and another walk before mercifully exiting. He got just five whiffs on 67 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of 25 percent. He’ll carry a disappointing 5.09 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a 169/60 K/BB ratio (157 1/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Blue Jays.

Baz got through three scoreless innings before loading the bases with no outings the fourth. Daniel Schneemann drove in two runs with a double. Baz struck out the next two batters, then induced a groundout to escape the inning. He tossed one more scoreless innings, ending his day with eight strikeouts over five. The 26-year-old right-hander will take a 4.94 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 164/57 K/BB ratio across 155 innings into a start against the Cubs in Chicago on Friday. Baz came into Saturday’s contest with a 6.47 ERA at home and a 3.59 ERA on the road.

Baz put together his strongest start of the second half in this one, scattering seven baserunners over six shutout frames. The 26-year-old righty, who has been hit extremely hard since the All-Star break, was staked to a five-run cushion by the fourth inning and was able to cruise to an easy win, needing just 83 pitches (53 strikes) to navigate six frames. He’s put together back-to-back quality starts since most fantasy managers probably elected to cut bait after a six-run implosion where he coughed up five home runs against the Yankees back on August 19. He’ll close out a two-start week on Saturday against the Guardians.

Baz allowed just three singles and two walks tonight. Unfortunately, all of them came in the first inning. That’s kind of the way it’s gone for Baz this year. He dropped to 8-11 with a 5.19 ERA in spite of the improvement in his strikeout rate and exit velocity numbers from last season, when he returned from surgery to post a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts. He could be a really nice late-round pick next spring with the Rays returning to Tropicana Field. Before that, though, his 2025 will continue with a start next Monday against the Mariners.