The Baltimore Orioles gave up several assets to get starting pitcher Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays in December, and his last two starts have shown why. The 26-year-old allowed one run on four hits over 5.2 innings in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he allowed three runs on nine hits across five innings in Friday's 6-3 defeat to the San Francisco Giants.
Baz's performance against the Pirates was more ideal, but he showed on Friday that he can rebound from difficult situations. For example, the Texas native retired the first two hitters in the top of the third inning before Willy Adames smashed a 402-foot homer to right center to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. He then walked Luis Arraez, who advanced to third on a Matt Chapman single in the next at-bat.
That brought up three-time All-Star Rafael Devers with two outs and runners on the corners. Baz attacked him with a 96-mile-per-hour fastball down the middle and a knuckle curve on the outside before tossing another fastball slightly high. He then delivered another knuckle curve on the inside corner, which Devers grounded right back to him for the easy out.
Baz then ran into trouble again in the fourth, as Casey Schmitt hit a leadoff double before advancing to third on a Jung Hoo Lee groundout. Heliot Ramos then hit an RBI single, followed by a Patrick Bailey single and a Harrison Bader flyout. Adames then hit an RBI double that put Ramos on third, but Arraez fouled out to end the inning.
Baz had given up three runs over four innings at this point, but he escaped with a runner on third twice. The 2017 No. 12 overall pick did the same in the fifth inning, as Chapman flied out before Devers hit an infield single and advanced to third on a Schmitt double. However, he struck out Lee and got Ramos to ground out to end his outing.
Baltimore gave up four prospects and a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2026 MLB Draft for Baz. The prospects were catcher Caden Bodine (No. 12 in the Rays' system), outfielder Slater de Brun (No. 9), outfielder Austin Overn (No. 25), and right-handed pitcher Michael Forret (No. 7).
Additionally, the Orioles handed Baz a five-year, $68 million contract extension on March 27, the largest given to a pitcher in franchise history, per MLB.com's Jake Rill. Between the trade assets and money it invested, Baltimore can't afford for the hurler not to deliver.
Luckily for the organization, Baz has fit the bill over his last two starts after allowing four runs over 5.1 innings against the Minnesota Twins in his debut with the team, an 8-6 win on March 29.
The Orioles are now 6-7 after Friday's loss. Next up is another matchup with the Giants at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday.