Analysis: How the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals fared with the trade deadline

The Washington Nationals went into the 2025 season thinking they’d be trade-deadline sellers, the Baltimore Orioles, not so much.

Both front offices were busy ahead of July 31, with Mike Elias, in Charm City, flipping 10 of his guys on expiring contracts for 15 prospects and one 2025 draft pick.

Mike DeBartolo, the interim GM in Washington, traded six players, getting 10 prospects in return.

How did they do?

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Rankings courtesy MLB.com and Baseball America.

Best pickup: LHP Boston Bateman (Baltimore)

Bateman, a Top 150 Baseball America guy picked up from San Diego in the haul that the O’s got back for Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn, slots in as the #6 prospect in the O’s system. The 6’8” 19-year-old was 5-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.32 WHIP at Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2025.

The other Top 500 Baseball America guy: RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (Baltimore)

Watts-Brown came from Toronto in the trade for reliever Seranthony Dominguez. He slots as the #9 prospect in the O’s system. The 2023 third-round pick was 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.24 WHIP at Double-A New Hampshire this summer.

Baseball America ranks these guys 500-1000

Baltimore: SS Cobb Hightower, RHP Raimon Gomez, SS Wilfir de la Cruz, RHP Tyson Neighbors, RHP Anthony Nunez, RHP Wellington Aracena

Washington: RHP Sean Linan, SS Ronny Cruz, RHP Eriq Swan , RHP Josh Randall RHP Clayton Beeter, RHP RJ Sales

Each team has six of these guys. BA says guys ranked 500-1000 are “often players whose skills don’t match their tools yet or skilled players with modest tools.

Baltimore’s top guys here:

• Hightower was ranked #8 in the Padres system; he slots at #21 with the O’s.
• Aracena was ranked #28 in the New York Mets system; he’s #22 with the O’s.
• De la Cruz was #20 in the Chicago Cubs system; he’s #23 with the O’s.
• Nunez was #27 in the Mets system; he’s #24 with the O’s.

Washington’s top guys from this tier:

• Linan was #19 in the Los Angeles Dodgers system; he’s #10 with the Nats.
• Swan was #24 in the Dodgers system; he’s #12 with the Nats.
• Cruz was #17 in the Cubs system; he’s #13 with the Nats.
• Randall was #20 in the Detroit Tigers system; he’s #23 with the Nats.
• Beeter was #23 in the New York Yankees system; he’s #24 with the Nats.

Trade deadline: The details

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Baltimore Orioles

To SD: Ramon Laureano, Ryan O’Hearn
From SD: Boston Bateman, Tyson Neighbors, Tanner Smith, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, Victor Figueroa

To NYM: Cedric Mullins
From NYM: Raimon Gómez, Chandler Marsh, Anthony Nunez

To NYM: Gregory Soto
From NYM: Wellington Aracena, Cameron Foster

To DET: Charlie Morton
From Detroit: Micah Ashman

To CHC: Andrew Kittredge
From CHC: Wilfri De La Cruz

To HOU: Ramón Urías
From HOU: Twine Palmer

To TOR: Seranthony Domínguez
From TOR: Juaron Watts-Brown

To TBR: Bryan Baker
From TBR: #37 pick

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Washington Nationals

To LAD: Alex Call
From LAD: Eriq Swan, Sean Paul Liñan

To DET: Kyle Finnegan
From DET: Josh Randall, R.J. Sales

To CHC: Michael Soroka
From CHC: Ronny Cruz, Christian Franklin

TO LAA: Luis Garcia, Andrew Chafin
From LAA: Jake Eder, Sam Brown

To NYY: Amed Rosario
From NYY: Clayton Beeter, Browm Martinez