The Baltimore Orioles made their first trade of the season yesterday evening. The Orioles and Mariners engaged in a trade to send RHP Mike Baumann and C Michael Perez to Seattle. The Mariners sent C Blake Hunt to the Orioles, who was optioned to AAA Norfolk after the trade.
Hunt hit .293/.372/.533 with four doubles, a triple, four home runs and 20 RBIs in 23 games with AAA Tacoma. He has a .988 fielding percentage during his eight-year career and has caught 25.7% of base stealers.
The San Diego Padres drafted Hunt out of Mater Dei High School (CA) in the 2017 draft. The Tampa Bay Rays then acquired Hunt as a part of the Blake Snell trade on December 29, 2020. The Mariners traded for Hunt in November of last year, although he has yet to make a big-league appearance. He is ranked 23rd in the Mariners organization.
Mike Baumann made 17 relief appearances with Baltimore this season. He has a 1-0 record with a 3.44 ERA on 18 hits, nine walks, one HBP and 16 strikeouts. Baumann’s been a part of four MLB seasons since 2021 and has a 13-5 record with a 4.45 ERA in 94 games. The O’s selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Jacksonville University (FL).
Michael Perez appeared in 21 games with AAA Norfolk this year. He hit .221/.294/.325 with two doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. The Orioles signed him to a minor league contract on December 30, 2023. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the fifth round in the 2011 draft, and he debuted in 2018 with the Rays. Perez has played in 202 major league games between the Rays, Pirates, and New York Mets. He slashed .179/.248/.306 with 22 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 61 RBI.
The Orioles 40-man roster is currently at 39. We welcome Blake Hunt to the Orioles, and wish Mike Baumann the best of luck!
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