The Athletics have traded outfielder Daz Cameron to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. This will be Cameron’s second stint in the Orioles organization.
Cameron, the son of All-Star outfielder Mike Cameron, was a highly-regarded prospect in the 2015 draft. The Astros selected him 37th overall but gave him a $4MM signing bonus, a number much closer to the slot value of the fifth overall pick (which Houston used on Kyle Tucker) rather than a competitive balance round selection. Yet, Cameron has never been able to live up to his top-prospect billing. The Astros sent him to the Tigers in 2017 as a part of the trade package for Justin Verlander, and he made his MLB debut with Detroit three years later. Over parts of three seasons with the Tigers, he put up a meager .201/.266/.330 slash line with a 66 wRC+ in 73 games.
After the 2022 season, the Tigers designated Cameron for assignment, and the Orioles scooped him up off of waivers. They quickly removed him from the 40-man roster but kept him in the organization and gave him an invitation to spring training. However, he failed to earn a spot on the roster out of camp and spent the 2023 season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, slashing a serviceable .268/.346/.452 with a 98 wRC+ over 110 games. He showed off relatively good plate discipline (21.3% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate) and plus speed (23 stolen bases in 29 attempts), but it wasn’t quite enough to get him back on the 40-man roster.
Cameron posted monster numbers with the Athletics’ Triple-A club this past season, hitting .304/.424/.577 (149 wRC+) with six homers, eight steals and a gaudy 16.4% walk rate in 41 games. He parlayed that into a look in the majors but wasn’t able to capitalize, batting just .200/.258/.329 during his 66 games (186 plate appearances) as an Athletic.
Orioles GM Mike Elias was the Astros’ scouting director when Cameron was selected 37th overall by Houston in 2015 and clearly still thinks well of the player. It seems unlikely that Baltimore would carry the out-of-options Cameron into next season, but the O’s have a habit of making early-offseason depth acquisitions, signing those players to a split contract for the upcoming season and then passing them through waivers. It’s possible they could look to go down a similar path with Cameron, who’d be eligible to reject an assignment in favor of free agency if he ultimately does pass through waivers.
Best of luck to Daz. He did well with Oakland…
He comes the Boom
In Addition to cash…can the Orioles throw in Hyde…the Athletics could use someone like Hyde
Wow. A team wanted Cameron?
There are worse things than outfield depth that posted a 134 wRC+ against LHPs last year
That seems to be about all he’s good for (LHP), considering his 200 avg.. seems a little bit of an odd pickup.
Very!
Wait…I thought the O’s were so loaded with OF depth that they couldn’t find playing time for all of them?
They traded Stowers and Norby to the Marlins.
And yet still had a logjam and Norby plays infield as far as i recall.
BUT…their GM is really good at what he does, so what do I know?
O’s are extremely well stocked with LH Ofers. RH not so much.
Also they traded Austin Hays to the Phillies for pitching too. Norby is primarily an IF but he plays OF as well. After trading Hays, if the O’s had kept Norby they surely would have used him in the OF a lot more since Hays was I think the only right handed OF on the major league roster at the time. That’s why the O’s were scrambling for right handed guys like Cristian Pache and Austin Slater after trading away Hays and Norby.
He had a decent season in Norfolk in ‘23. Not the worst move in the world with a depth add that’s a righty as most of the outfield both on the major league squad and in upper minors are LH bats. Will likely be outrighted soon enough and attempted to send through waivers.
Print the playoff tickets !
Shrub. They needed a righty hitting depth outfielder. All of Mullins, Kjerstad, and Cowser bat left.
They’ll probably try to pass him through waivers at some point this off-season.
Daz the way, uh huh uh huh. I like it.
I wouldn’t read too much into this acquisition. Oakland (Sacramento) was probably going to waive Cameron to make roster room. Orioles who need a RH OF with Slater a free agent agreed to take him off their hands. Most likely the Orioles try to sneak him through waivers and keep him in the organization. He can reject an outright but he’s not likely to get a MLB contract. And if by chance another team claims him the Orioles are only out a few dollars.
Contreras? Copying and pasting is a skill.