The Tampa Bay Rays have dealt away another piece of their 2024 team, trading Opening Day Starter Zach Eflin to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for three minor-league players: pitcher Jackson Baumeister, outfielder Matthew Etzel, and infielder Mac Horvath.
Baumeister is a 22-year-old right-hander who was taken by the Orioles in the second round of the 2023 draft after playing at Florida State. In his first professional season at High-A Aberdeen, he was 1-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 18 starts, striking out 91 and walking 43 in 70.2 innings pitched.
Horvath is a 23-year-old third baseman who was also taken in the second round of the 2023 Draft by Baltimore out of the Uniuversity of North Carolina. In his second pro season, the Austin, MN native hit .233/.328/.417 with nine home runs, 41 runs batted in and 26 stolen bases in 27 opportunities.
Etzel is a 22-year-old outfielder who was taken in the 10th round in 2023 out of the University of Southern Mississippi. In 41 games between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie, he is hitting .289/.363/.445 with six home runs, 47 RBI and 41 stolen bases in 52 attempts.
To take Eflin’s place on the roster, reliever Tyler Zuber has been recalled from Triple-A Durham.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
