"He's nowhere close to the top of the rotation" — Broadcaster slams Orioles for trading two top prospects to Marlins for Trevor Rogers
The Baltimore Orioles made full use of their farm system during this year's MLB trade deadline. They traded many prospects to fill in some gaps remaining in their roster. One particular trade saw the O's give away Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers in exchange for the Marlins' Trevor Rogers. However, that is being criticized as an overpay.
Rogers was an All-Star pitcher in 2021 and was also voted second in the Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, he has been unable to find similar form. His strikeout rate has dipped to 18.0 percent this season, and he's carrying a 2-9 record with a 4.53 ERA.
His stats are nowhere close to the value of the two top prospects that the Marlins have received in return. MLB broadcaster Chris Rose on the JM Baseball YouTube channel blasted the O's for the transaction.
"That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. He's not a strikeout guy, he's nowhere close to the top of the rotation at this point in his career," Rose said.
Has too much talent forced Orioles into such a situation?
One of the downsides of having strong prospects as a backup is having too many options for particular positions. This creates a backlog in the system, as some deserving candidates are stuck in the minors without ample time to play at the top of the level. This had been the case with Norby and Stowers.
Both were Orioles second-round picks in the MLB Draft. Stowers was picked in 2019 and made his MLB debut in 2022. Injuries and the Orioles' outfield depth saw him lose game time to Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. The 26-year-old has proven his talent by batting at .306 whenever the Orioles have given him a nod.
Norby has been with Baltimore since 2021. His place in the infield has been taken up by the talented Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, and both players earned All-Star caps this season. The 24-year-old has little to prove in the minors carrying a .866 OPS.
The O's will be hoping they can develop Rogers into a mid-rotation starter to help out Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez and recent acquisition Zach Eflin.