Baltimore Orioles trade: Alejandro De Aza headed to Orioles
By Hayden Kane
With less than 48 hours until players must be on a big league roster to be eligible for postseason play, the Baltimore Orioles took to the phones to try and make some deals to add depth and talent for a playoff run.
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To add some depth to their outfield and their bench, the Orioles acquired Alejandro De Aza from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for two minor league pitchers on Saturday. Roch Kobatko of MASN writes the following about the deal:
"The Orioles have made a trade 24 hours before the deadline for adding players who may be included on the playoff roster, acquiring outfielder Alejandro De Aza from the White Sox for minor league pitchers Miguel Chalas and Mark Blackmar."
De Aza is a versatile and athletic outfielder. His results this season have been unspectacular, as he is batting .246/.312/.358 in 121 games. His best season came back in 2012 when he batted .286/.349/.410 in 131 games.
These kinds of transactions do not necessarily create buzz or change the big picture too much, but anybody who has watched playoff baseball knows how important role players become. For all of the attention paid to star players in any given game or series, how often does the no. 8 hitter in the lineup come through? How often does that key at-bat come down to the third player off the bench?
This trade might not move the needle now, but you never know when a player like De Aza will play a key role in the postseason. That is why executives across the league focus on improving the last few spots on their roster just as much as they do on making splashy moves.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided for all of the latest MLB news, rumors, transactions, and analysis as the 2014 season heads towards the playoff stretch.