Rays have become 'Orioles 2.0' with recent acquisitions

ST. PETERSBURG -- On July 10, 2025, Bryan Baker was traded from the Orioles to the Rays. The 31-year-old right-hander had no idea at the time that it would start a pipeline for many of his former teammates to make the same move within the American League East.

Now, the Rays are adding so many former O's that perhaps they should be called the "Tampa Bay Orioles."

"You notice it," Baker said. "Walking into the clubhouse [Friday afternoon], a couple of the guys were like, ‘Man, we've just got Orioles 2.0 over here right now.’"

On Monday night, Tampa Bay and Baltimore conclude a four-game divisional series that has served as a reunion between a plethora of former teammates. Not only has the Rays' 26-man roster featured Baker, but outfielder Cedric Mullins, right-hander Tyler Wells and infielder Jorge Mateo are all active as well.

Mullins signed a one-year, $7 million deal with Tampa Bay this past offseason. Wells and Mateo, however, are more recent additions. The O's traded Wells to the Rays on Aug. 3, while Mateo signed on Thursday, four days after he got released by the Braves.

Tampa Bay has so many former Baltimore players that it actually has as many members of the 2023 O's (Baker, Mullins, Wells and Mateo) as the Orioles currently do (right-handers Kyle Bradish and Yennier Cano, outfielder Colton Cowser and shortstop Gunnar Henderson). The tiebreaker would even go to the Rays, as former O's manager Brandon Hyde is now a senior advisor in their baseball operations department.

"That is kind of crazy," Mullins said. "I think about that [2023 Orioles] team, I think about, obviously, what could have been. Obviously, the business side has its place in the game, a strong place in the game. We always have our dreams about being together for as long as possible. But things happen. It's funny how the stars have aligned to have guys get picked up, including myself, and being down here."

The 2023 Orioles may not have made a deep postseason run -- they got swept by the Rangers in the American League Division Series -- but they were one of the best regular-season teams in franchise history. Baltimore went 101-61 that year, winning its first AL East title since 2014, while also making its first appearance in the postseason since '16.

The O's reached the postseason again in 2024, going 91-71 and earning a Wild Card berth. However, the '25 season did not go well (a 75-87 record and a last-place finish in the AL East), and Baltimore again sits below .500 this year (61-63), which resulted in the club operating as sellers at the Trade Deadline.

Wells wasn't expecting to get traded. In fact, the 31-year-old reliever spent Deadline day with Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers, and they both thought Rogers could get moved. Instead, Rogers stayed in Baltimore, while Wells was dealt to Tampa Bay.

"Baltimore, obviously, is always going to hold a special place in my heart," Wells said. "Been with them through some pretty significant moments through the last six years. To be able to come back and play them [this weekend] is a little weird in that sense, to be on the other side of some of the lifelong friends that I've created over there."

It isn't always easy for players to switch clubhouses in-season. Wells had never experienced it before this year.

But it surely helped for these former Orioles to have so many familiar faces around upon their arrival in St. Petersburg.

"It’s a good thing. It makes things comfortable," Mateo said via an interpreter. "I’ve also played in this division, so I’ve seen a lot of the same faces here. It’s just a comfortable feeling.”

The O's have gotten the better of their old friends so far, winning each of the first three games over the weekend. They'll go for a sweep Monday night, though the Rays (an AL-best 74-49) are still well positioned to potentially make a deep run through October.

For the former Orioles on Tampa Bay's roster, perhaps their past experiences could help when the postseason arrives. After all, Mullins sees some similarities between the '23 O's and the '26 Rays.

"I'd say winning close games was something that we did really well in '23," Mullins said. "I think we're copying that here, as well. When you're able to pull out those close games and then have ones where you just kind of dominate, those wins add up. So that's what we're continuing to do."