The Baltimore Orioles went through an organizational facelift over the offseason, bringing in new manager Craig Albernaz as well as several players, including star first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Taylor Ward. However, one of their most significant acquisitions was starting pitcher Shane Baz.

The Orioles sent four prospects and a 2026 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to the Tampa Bay Rays for Baz in December and gave him a five-year, $68 million extension in March, the largest contract for a pitcher in franchise history. That hasn't panned out thus far, as the 26-year-old now has a 5.48 ERA through eight starts after giving up five runs over 4.2 innings against the Athletics on Saturday.

Baz has time to improve, but Baltimore needs him to break out of his slump expeditiously. 

The Baz trade was a win-now move for Baltimore, but he has yet to prove himself as a win-now player. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA in his first full big-league season with Tampa Bay last year after posting a 3.06 ERA over 14 starts in 2023.

Additionally, the Orioles gave up a hefty package in the deal. The four prospects are right-handed pitcher Michael Forret (their No. 8 prospect last year), outfielder Austin Overn (No. 29), outfielder Slater de Brun, and catcher Caden Bodine. de Brun was their No. 37 overall pick in 2025 and is now the Rays' No. 9 prospect, while Bodine was their No. 30 pick and is now the Rays' No. 12 prospect.

While trading prospects for proven big-leaguers makes sense for a team wanting immediate results, it's less understandable in this case. Baz is young, but he doesn't have the resume to justify trading multiple valuable assets for. 

To make matters worse, Baltimore backloaded the Texas native's extension. The organization owes him $21.8 million in 2029 and $25.8 million in 2030. For context, Alonso tops the payroll at $21 million this year, and he's a five-time All-Star.

If Baz doesn't improve, it'll be hard for the Orioles to trade that contract. The good news is that he's shown flashes of potential, such as when he allowed one run over 5.2 innings in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 4 and had the same stat line in a 5-3 win over the Houston Astros on April 28. But he needs to have those type of games more often.

Up next for Baltimore is a rematch with the Athletics on Sunday before hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game series.