Orioles Acquire Trevor Rogers From Marlins for Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers
Image credit: Trevor Rogers (Photo by Tom DiPace)
The first-place Orioles continue to add to their roster at the trade deadline.
Baltimore’s latest acquisition is Marlins’ starting pitching Trevor Rogers. Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Miami’s return for the 26-year-old lefthander will be a pair of prospect bats: 2B Connor Norby and OF Kyle Stowers.
Norby, a second round pick in 2021, was recently called back up to the big leagues. He ranked No. 7 in the latest update of the Orioles’ Top 30 prospect list, the full version of which can find here.
ORIOLES RECEIVE
Rogers is the epitome of a No. 4 starter. After a standout rookie season in 2021 in which he went 7-8 with a 2.64 ERA and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year balloting, he’s gone 7-22, 4.92 with a 4.36 FIP in the three seasons since. Rogers missed time in 2022 with back spasms and a lat strain and spent much of 2023 sidelined with a biceps strain. When he was dominating in 2021, Rogers sat at 95 mph, which made his plus changeup even more effective. Now he sits 92 mph and relies even more heavily on that changeup. He’s pitched better over the past two months than his overall 2-9, 4.53 stat line may indicate, but unless the Orioles can help him regain velocity or add another pitch, he’s more of a useful innings eater rather than a playoff starter.
MARLINS RECEIVE
Connor Norby, 2B
Age: 24
Norby was blocked in Baltimore, as he’s limited to corner outfield spots (covered by Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and several others) and second base (where Jackson Holliday/Jorge Mateo are ahead of him on the pecking order). Freed from Baltimore, he’ll have a chance to be an offense-first second baseman for the Marlins. He’s hit .286/.368/.498 in his MiLB career and has more than 1,000 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s big-league ready right now.
Kyle Stowers, OF
Age: 24
Stowers first reached Triple-A Norfolk in 2021. Little did he know that he’d spend the majority of 2022, 2023 and 2024 there, as well. He has bounced back and forth between Baltimore and Norfolk in each of the past three seasons, but his only extended playing time in Baltimore came in 2022, when he hit .253/.306/.418 in 98 plate appearances. Stowers has fallen behind Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser on the Orioles’ outfield depth chart, but he has a shot to be at least a platoon corner outfielder for the Marlins. He’s a career .250/.345/.535 hitter in Triple-A against righthanders, but hasn’t been helpless against lefties in the minors, either, bating .261/.365/.474 in Triple-A for his career. So, the Marlins could give him a shot at everyday at-bats in a corner outfield spot.
