The Baltimore Orioles made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates minutes before the 6 pm trade deadline on Tuesday. They received pitching prospect Patrick Reilly in exchange for outfielder Billy Cook.
Patrick Reilly
Reilly is a 22-year old right-handed pitcher from Long Branch, New Jersey. He was drafted in the 2023 MLB draft. He pitched three seasons for Vanderbilt University. In May 2023, he earned the win in an SEC championship game against Texas A&M. That season, he was 5-4 with a 5.25 ERA through 49 games and 144 innings pitched. He allowed 125 hits, 20 home runs, 84 earned runs, and struck out 187.
This season, he pitched for the Pirates’ High-A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. He is 5-4 through 19 games and 88 innings pitched. His ERA is 3.38, and opponents are batting .190 against him. Reilly will most likely join the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds as he begins his career with the Orioles.
Billy Cook
Cook has moved through the Orioles’ minor league system during his four years with the team starting with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Orioles in 2021 and being promoted to the AAA Norfolk Tides in 2024. Cook was drafted by the Orioles in the 10th round of the 2021 draft from Pepperdine University.
In the 2024 season, Cook has played 85 games, 70 of those being with the Tides. He has had a strong career with the Tides, batting .279 with 11 home runs. His OPS is .857. Cook is eligible for the rule-5 draft after this season if he is not placed on a 40-man roster. This is a possibility with the Pirates, but was not likely with the Orioles.
Good luck to both these players as they continue to develop on their respective teams.
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