The Baltimore Orioles continued their activity ahead of Spring Training, but in a very… Baltimore way. No blockbuster. No sensational headlines. Just a small, quiet trade, and if you look closely, it quite clearly reflects their obsession over the past two seasons.
The Orioles acquired Blaze Alexander from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in exchange for three players: Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena, and Jose Mejia. On paper, this is a “depth for depth” trade. But in Baltimore’s current context, it carries much more meaning.
Blaze Alexander isn’t a player who forces opponents to adjust their game plan. In 135 MLB games, he shot .230/.323/.383 with 10 home runs. OPS .706. Strikeout rate over 32%. None of those numbers are particularly impressive. But Alexander possesses something the Orioles clearly lack: the ability to play in multiple positions without disrupting the team’s structure.
Second base, third base, shortstop, all three outfield positions — Alexander played them all. His defense was rated positively, with +7 DRS in various positions and his running speed in the top 15% of all MLB players. It wasn’t the kind of versatility to brag about. It was the kind of versatility needed to… survive the season.
For the past two years, the Orioles have been constantly dragged off track by injuries. Not injuries that crippled the team, but small, scattered injuries that forced them to patch things up with temporary solutions. Alexander’s arrival was a silent acknowledgment: Baltimore didn’t want to be put in that situation again.
The price they paid wasn’t entirely small either.
Kade Strowd proved himself in MLB. 25 games, ERA 1.71, WHIP 1.10 — a young, well-controlled bullpen, just enough to make fans question why he was included in the trade. Aracena is a young starter with a 2.25 ERA in the minors, and was once in the top 30 prospect rankings. Mejia isn’t ready for MLB yet, but his speed and defensive ability make him an interesting project.
But the Orioles don’t trade based on individual current form. They trade for team structure.
Alexander almost certainly won’t enter the season as a starter. But he’s a backup option for… almost everything. If an infielder gets injured. If you need to rotate the lineup according to matchups. If a player needs a day off but the team still needs to maintain its rhythm. Alexander fills that gap without completely disrupting the coach’s game.
It’s noteworthy that this type of trade is becoming increasingly common in how the Orioles operate. They don’t just accumulate stars. They accumulate players who help keep the season off track because of minor things. A utility man might not win you a series. But he can help you avoid losing it due to a lack of players.
Conversely, Baltimore believes they have enough depth to compensate for the departures of Strowd and other prospects. Their farm system remains robust. The new faces brought in this season are expected to absorb that loss.
The Blaze Alexander trade might not be remembered in October. But if the Orioles navigate a less-than-crisis-filled, less-patchwork season, this decision will be viewed differently.
Because sometimes, what speaks most about a team’s ambition isn’t the star they bring in—but the risks they quietly prepare to avoid.
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