Will Orioles be better with Shane Baz instead of Grayson Rodriguez? | MAILBAG

Question:  I feel more optimistic than I did after last offseason, but one pair of transactions I’m still having a hard time understanding when you look at them together:

Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for Taylor Ward:  Yeah, Ward can hit a bit, but Rodriguez, if — and it’s a BIG if — he can stay healthy, still looks to be a very good pitcher and he’s under the coveted “team control,” whereas Ward is a free agent after the season.

Four prospects (several higher-end ones) to the Rays for Shane Baz: Prospects, as always, are a crapshoot, but if you’re giving up the potential value they gave up, ideally it would be for a sure thing. Instead, they basically got back the Rays’ version of Rodriguez … a pitcher with enormous potential that has had trouble staying healthy.

When looking at these transactions together, I can’t help but feel as though they traded that bundle of prospects for Ward.  Am I wrong? From: Kevin Flory

Answer: Kevin, Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t pitched in a major league game since July 31^st, 2024. Having Rodriguez in the same rotation with Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, a combined 10 starts since June 2024, would leave the Orioles exposed.

Shane Baz started 31 times last year and threw 166 1/3 innings. No Oriole pitcher started 31 games, and only Dean Kremer threw more innings, 171 2/3. That seems to be a step up.

Ward is viewed as an improvement over Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles needed better right-handed bats, and they got two in Ward and Pete Alonso.

Rodriguez has great potential, but I’m thinking they didn’t feel like he’d reach that potential with the Orioles. Sometimes, players are traded and teams know they may perform better elsewhere, but they’ve convinced they won’t pitch as well with their current team.

Question: I was curious about the long list of starters still available. Wanted to know your take on Tomoyuki Sugano. While I don’t think he was great last year, it always seemed to be assumed that he wasn’t coming back.

Do you know his story? Does he think he should command more years, more money? Being as he doesn’t seem to have many offers, I’m a little surprised the Orioles haven’t tried to sign him even to a minor league contract with a camp invite. Don’t you think he’d be open to that or don’t you think the Orioles would even be interested? From: Robert Austin

Answer: Bob, Sugano had a decent 2025. He’s now 36, and I think the Orioles wanted to improve their rotation, and having Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells for a full season and adding Shane Baz represents an improvement.

If they sign another pitcher, I’m guessing that they will be younger and more accomplished than Sugano.

I haven’t heard any chatter about Sugano, and I assumed he was a one-off here. I’d be surprised if I see hm in Sarasota next month.

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.