Still amidst a multi-year rebuild, the Orioles are one of a handful of teams around the league certain to trade players off the big league roster in advance of the July 30 deadline. Much of the discussion about the club in the coming weeks figures to revolve around the potential availability of staff ace John Means and first baseman Trey Mancini, with good reason. But there’s a lower-profile Oriole whose excellent performance should draw plenty of attention from contenders: lefty reliever Paul Fry.
A former 17th-round pick of the Mariners, Fry was traded to Baltimore for international signing bonus space back in 2017. He made his MLB debut the following year. While Fry began as a rather nondescript middle reliever, he’s quietly been lights-out for the past two seasons. Since the start of 2020, Fry has pitched to a 2.22 ERA that ranks twelfth among big league relievers (minimum 40 innings).
Relievers can sometimes fluke their way into strong ERA’s given their generally small sample workloads, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with Fry. He’s among the top 25 bullpen arms in strikeout rate (33%), strikeout/walk rate differential (22.9 percentage points), SIERA (2.98) and ground ball rate (55.3%) over the last two years. Quite simply, he’s done almost everything teams want from a pitcher. He’s shown the ability to both miss bats and keep the ball on the ground, so it’s no surprise he continues to post scoreless innings. His 10.1% walk rate, while slightly worse than league average, is far from disastrous.
Fry was very good in 2020, and he’s seemingly taken his game to another level this season. Fry’s punching out hitters at a career-best 36.7% rate this year, helping him pitch to a 1.99 ERA across 22 2/3 frames. He’s averaging a career-high 93.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball, which is missing bats at an elite level. And Fry’s been equally dominant against hitters from both sides of the plate, holding left-handed and right-handed batters alike to a sub-.500 OPS.
That level of on-field dominance is interesting enough, but Fry’s contractual status makes him all the more appealing a trade target. He’s making just more than the league minimum salary this season and comes with three additional years of team control via arbitration. Even the lowest-payroll contenders would have no issue adding Fry to the books; the same is true of big-market teams seemingly set on staying underneath the luxury tax threshold (i.e. Astros, Red Sox and Yankees).
While that level of production and cost control certainly appeals to the Orioles as well, Baltimore figures to at least entertain offers on Fry. They’re not going to contend this season, and it’d be a stretch to envision them hanging around the postseason picture in 2022. The performance of relief pitchers can be volatile, and the late-blooming Fry will be 29 years old by deadline day. It’d make sense for the Orioles to move him to a more immediate contender if they’re offered high-end prospect talent to continue to stockpile the farm system. Contending clubs are seemingly always on the lookout for relief help at the deadline, so there should be no shortage of teams in touch with the Orioles about one of the game’s most underrated arms in the coming weeks.
Orel Saxhiser
Wow! Did anyone catch the end of Yankees-Twins? Chapman gives up a pair of two-run homers in the 9th. Twins walk it off, 7-5. Those balls by Donaldson and Cruz were moidered.
DarkSide830
homers off Chapman? must be sign stealing.
PutPeteinthehall
Would have loved to see his reaction to the second one!
bot
Not sure why MLBTR don’t cover those rumors too. Nothing on ball modification rumors and it took a good week for them to bring up the Donaldson/Cole dialog
DockEllisDee
Donaldson-Cole dialogue? Sorry I’m late to the party, would love a qrd or link if you have a minute
17dizzy
Chapman is getting older. Still throws with more velocity than most, but the extreme movement on his pitches are fading.
Just like Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals was as a young player. They were both fun to watch!!! Now it’s painful. Still Rooting for them to play like the way they were remembered most— exciting.
Age catches up after time on all of us.
Ra
You find it “painful” to watch a pitcher boasting a 1.93 ERA, a 0.986 WHIP and a K/9 of 16.6? What color is the sky on your planet?
lazeraizer84
What does this have to do with the above post?
gofish 2
Can they trade him to the Marlins so that they’ll have Fry and Bender (Anthony)?
ludafish
Please. I already am the leader of the Anthony Bender fan club (he will finish the year as closer). More memes!!!
Captain Dunsel
Dear Tim–how is this humorous reference acceptable and the ones that were deleted not?
jessaumodesto
Is Matt Riley still in the minors?
osfandan
Good ol 24KTARM
letsholdemandgohome
Sounds like Fry’s the guy
Joel Peterson
Cards could use him. Wouldn’t give up anything serious for him but something sure.
seamaholic 2
Then you won’t get him. Besides, I’m not sure Cards are buying. They look awful and are broke until the off-season anyway.
Joel Peterson
Cards have more money to spend than the Cubs do fella you can bet on that. And yes they look bad now there have been tons of injuries.
chuckleberry74
Totally acknowledge the Cards injuries…but the Cubs are right up there. Plus, the Cubs will be buyers next month. I’m betting a lefty relief pitcher and a starter.
positively_broad_st
Phillies should go after both Fry and Galvis in the same deal…
DarkSide830
honestly I’d just ride Toe over Galvis at this point unless Didi can be moved.
positively_broad_st
I was thinking send Bohm down to AAA to learn LF & get his bat back on track. I’d move Didi to third…
Bill Kane
Bohn will be playing first next season while Hoskins becomes the DH
DarkSide830
what DH
Luc (Soto 3rd best in the game)
It’s always funny to see someone so happy for a deal like Didi then hate him lol.
DarkSide830
he waa real bad earlier this year
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Hey this is an Orioles article, stay north…thanks
Brennen
Time fir the O’s to start calling up the kids and letting them take there Big League lumps.
mstrchef13
Nope. The kids who are shining are still in AA or lower. The prospects at AAA have all been injured or disappointing (or both). I am hopeful that Diaz gets healthy soon so when the O’s move Santander at the trade deadline Diaz can slot right in.
jbigz12
McKenna is a better prospect than Diaz at this point.
Brennen
I think McKenna is a nice player. 4th outfielder type that is consistent enough to fill in in the corners. The type of OF that will be good for the next contending O’s team.
Ra
No, McKenna is not a better prospect than Diaz. He’s barely even a prospect.
jbigz12
Well, I don’t really know where your source is for that. Because McKenna is now considered by most to be the better prospect. Diaz can not stay on the field and has had his prospect stock drop considerably.
Brennen
Was hopeful that the kids would skip AAA and take there lumps in July, Aug, and Sept. and be ready next season. The O’s have gone the high school route recently on a lot of there top prospects and gone for college bats. Could be an interesting blend down the line. The O’s true problems have stemmed from there pitching staff since the late 90’s. With that said Hall and Rodriguez look like the real deal. Hope they continue to develop and turn into the 1/2 they envisioned
jbigz12
DL’s going to have be a more consistent strike thrower to hit that ceiling. But his stuff is top notch.
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Bradish Bradish Bradish he is shining, he is not in AA or lower. mstrchef13 ===> know it all let one slip
BobGibsonFan
Will you look at that? A trade rumor on a trade rumor site.
I would rename this the “mlb 10 day IL”
Deleted_User
LOL
bobtillman
Rule # 16.5 of the General Manager’s Handbook says always trade a reliever when he’s doing well, cuz ya know, sure as God made dem pretty green apples, the arrow starts pointing downward, quickly.
I’ve always liked Fry, but it seems like an optimum time to move him. Lord knows enough teams could use him. And given his contract, the O’s can accelerate their 2030 rebuild.
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Oh hahahaha 203 rebuild, hahahaha that’s so funny bob
bobtillman
Ya, that was a bit optimistic…….I’m sorry,
prov356
Welp, the Angels need pitching.
bot
Good piece. Nice find franco
seamaholic 2
Seems like the kind of guy you want to get right now, because this is his magic season and he will never again be this good. How many times have we seen it.
cwsOverhaul
Describes Bummer in ’19 until he proves otherwise.
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Unless you count his good seasons in 2018 and 2020, yes this is his magic season…or maybe he is just improving over time?
jbigz12
Well we’re going to need to get pitching back if Fry is shipped out. The clear and obvious need in our system. I wish we’d package a couple guys to get some higher end arms. Maybe a Santander/Fry package to a team in need.
AssumesFactNotInEvidence
Yeah, need pitching in return because the Orioles minor league teams have no pitching prospects excelling this season. Need high end arms so they can make their playoff push this season, no prospects for the Orioles, only high end MLB ready arms. “The clear and obvious need in our system.”???? Maybe spend a minute or two looking at the Orioles minor league stats. G Rodriguez, DL Hall, Bradish, etc, etc, etc…”The clear and obvious need in our system.” my cat cannot stop laughing after I read this to her…
jbigz12
That’s just not funny, ace. If you’re going to troll give me some humor or substance.
Oddvark
Is Paul Fry related to Jace Fry. Any word on when Jace returns from the IL? If Jace is out for the season, maybe the White Sox can get Fry to replace Fry.
mgrap84
So Orioles biggest problem is pitching. Means has been an Oriole, is our ace, is still pretty young and you want to trade him? No wonder we will never win. By the time we bring up the kids and they play good, we will trade them too