Question: The top 100 MLB prospects came out this week. The Orioles have only two on the list (Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo). Compared with the other teams, they no longer look impressive like they did in years past. Yes, we traded some away, but where are any new guys? Is the “Mike Elias is a draft genius” coming to an end? From: John Lantz
Answer: John, you’re referring to MLB Pipeline’s list, which I usually reference. Others, Baseball Prospectus, The Athletic and ESPN, have three in their top 100, Basallo, Mayo and Enrique Bradfield Jr. Baseball America also has three but includes Heston Kjerstad in their list with Basallo and Mayo because he has only 129 major league at-bats.
I think it was unrealistic to expect the Orioles to keep having six or seven players among the top 100 prospects since Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Holliday as well as Kjerstad have all graduated from those top lists to the major leagues in the last three years.
Keith Law, who ranks farm systems for The Athletic, rates the Orioles’ 20th. I don’t know enough about other systems of other teams, but the Orioles produced so many major league players, including Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz, who were traded, that a continued top-rated farm system wasn’t sustainable.
Question: We are about two weeks from the start of spring training. The Orioles have obtained several new players. Are any of the new players added to the 40-man roster contracted with a guarantee of not being traded before Opening Day? From: Mitch
Answer: Mitch, not only do none of the six free agents signed to major league contracts by the Orioles have any protection against being traded, none of the players on the 40-man roster do, and that’s not unusual at all.
Players don’t receive veto power over trades until they’ve played in the major leagues for 10 years—five with the same team. Adam Jones used that power to veto a trade from the Orioles to the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2018.
Top-tier free agents may negotiate trade protection; Juan Soto’s contract with the New York Mets contains a full no-trade clause, which he could waive.
Zach Eflin has a clause in his contract that required Tampa Bay to pay him $1 million for being traded to the Orioles, and I assume the Orioles would have to pay him an additional $1 million if they decide to trade him in 2025.
According to Cot’s Contracts, Andrew Kittredge was able to negotiate a clause ensuring him a hotel suite on road trips.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.