On a day wherein each groups made a number of strikes to enhance their main league rosters, the Orioles and Pirates additionally related on a minor league commerce, with the O’s sending 25-year-old utility participant Billy Cook dinner to the Bucs in alternate for 22-year-old right-hander Patrick Reilly. The groups have already made the commerce official, in line with the transaction tracker on MiLB.com.

The Orioles drafted Cook dinner within the tenth spherical of the 2021 draft, and he has risen by way of the ranks of the Orioles system over the previous 4 years. In 85 video games between Double and Triple-A this season, he’s batting .275 with 17 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 residence runs, good for a 120 wRC+. He has additionally stolen 16 bases. On the opposite facet of the ball, Cook dinner has performed first, second, and third base, in addition to all three outfield positions. Earlier this 12 months, he advised David Laurilla of FanGraphs that he thinks his expertise play finest within the outfield, however he understands his capacity to play the infield is necessary, too. Whereas Cook dinner just isn’t essentially the most extremely regarded prospect (MLB Pipeline had him because the No. 28 prospect in Baltimore’s system, however he was unranked by Baseball America, FanGraphs, and The Athletic coming into the season), it’s spectacular that he has managed to carve out an everyday position at Triple-A Norfolk, contemplating the sheer quantity of younger expertise within the Orioles’ group. He’ll should be added to the Pirates 40-man roster after the season if the workforce desires to guard him from the Rule 5 draft.

The Pirates took Reilly within the fifth spherical of final 12 months’s draft. He has made 19 begins at Excessive-A this 12 months, pitching to a 3.38 ERA and 4.65 FIP in 88 innings of labor. His 108 strikeouts are significantly spectacular, though his 41 walks are lower than splendid. That stated, he has lower down on free passes since his time at Vanderbilt, the place he walked 93 batters over 144 innings. Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked him because the No. 22 prospect within the Pirates’ system in June, whereas MLB Pipeline had him at No. 20 previous to the commerce. Baseball America was increased on Reilly, rating him at No. 8 coming into the season. The evaluators at BA gave him a forty five future worth grade, whereas MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs each gave him a 40. All three sources are excessive on his mid-90s fastball, however BA was equally enamored along with his slider and fewer involved by his management points. The evaluators at BA additionally appear to be essentially the most optimistic that Reilly can stick as a starter in the long run, writing that he “has the arm to make it work.”

Whereas Reilly is broadly thought of the extra promising younger participant, the Pirates clearly see one thing they like in Cook dinner, who is way nearer to creating his MLB debut. In the meantime, it’s simple to see why the Orioles, whose group is loaded with place participant expertise, have been blissful to swap a 25-year-old hitter for a 22-year-old pitcher.