Question: Was the trade of Kyle Stowers to the Marlins a big mistake, or is the jury still out?
Answer: Tim, Billy Becker and Kevin Josenhans also have questions about the trade. Kevin was curious why the Orioles traded Stowers instead of Heston Kjerstad.
Stowers and Connor Norby were traded to Miami last July for left-hander Trevor Rogers, and obviously, it’s a trade that hasn’t worked out for the Orioles.
They certainly could have used Stowers this season, and Norby probably would have been with the team as well. Stowers was named National League Player of the Week for his performance last week.
Rogers had a 7.11 ERA in four starts for the team after he was acquired and was sent to Norfolk. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles this season because of a knee injury, and he’s currently with the Tides.
Unless Rogers becomes a contributor to the Orioles this season and beyond, you would have to say the trade is a big mistake.
As for prioritizing Kjerstad, he was the overall No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, and he hadn’t had an extended opportunity in the major leagues. The Orioles, like most teams, want to give their first-round picks more chances because they have so much more invested in them.
Question: Do you think Adley Rutschman or Ryan Mountcastle could be optioned to Norfolk to help regain their batting stroke? Neither appears to be helping the Orioles offensively. From: Steve Inge
Answer: Steve, that’s not going to happen. Even though both Rutschman and Mountcastle have options remaining, the Orioles aren’t going to send either to the minor leagues.
The Orioles would be worse without Rutschman, who remains a solid defender, and I don’t think Mountcastle would benefit from a trip to Norfolk, either.
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.