Orioles Add Pitching Depth

BALTIMORE—Executive vice president Dan Duquette made his latest attempt at improving the organization’s pitching depth by completing two deals on May 23 that netted a trio of 23-year-old pitching prospects.

The Orioles acquired righthander Brandon Barker and lefthander Trevor Belicek from the Braves for lefthander Brian Matusz and their supplemental second-round pick, which transfers $838,900 from Baltimore’s draft bonus pool to Atlanta’s.

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Soon after, the Orioles acquired righthander Franderlin Romero from the Reds for two international bonus slots that are valued at $693,300 and now belong to Cincinnati.

Baltimore assigned Barker to Double-A Bowie. Belicek and Romero joined high Class A Frederick.

“With today’s moves, we have added to the pitching depth of our organization,” Duquette said. “The pitchers we have acquired today are very competitive and have very good instincts. They have excellent control, keep the ball in the ballpark and consistently keep the ball over the plate.

“Not only have we stocked the pitching in our farm system, but we also added three potential major leaguers.”

Barker, a 16th-round pick from Mercer in 2014, went 3-2, 2.00 in nine games (eight starts) at Double-A Mississippi this season. He struck out 8.0 and walked 2.4 per nine innings while allowing 35 hits in 45 innings.

Belicek, a 16th-round pick from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2015, went 3-0, 2.22 with one walk and 32 strikeouts in 12 games at low Class A Rome and Mississippi.

Romero, whom the Reds signed out of Venezuela in May 2010, went 1-4, 2.87 in eight starts at low Class A Dayton.

He walked nine batters and struck out 42 in 47 innings while allowing 46 hits.

BIRD SEED

• The Orioles called up Bowie lefthander Ashur Tolliver as Matusz’s replacement in the bullpen. The 28-year-old, a fifth-round pick in 2009, had not pitched above Double-A.

• Righthander Pat Connaughton reported to extended spring training to work out for a week. The Orioles selected the two-way Notre Dame star in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, but he chose basketball and signed with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. Connaughton recorded a 2.51 ERA in 15 innings at short-season Aberdeen in 2014, and the Orioles can renew his contract through 2020.