In acquiring a five-player prospect package from the Los Angeles Dodgers for All-Star shortstop Manny Machado on Wednesday, including Cuban center fielder Yusniel Diaz, pitchers Dean Kremer and Zach Pop, and infielders Rylan Bannon and Breyvic Valera, the Orioles continued a process that began in last month's MLB draft of using this summer's talent-acquisition opportunities to fill in the gaps in their farm system.
The Orioles, by virtue of some improved draft classes, have loads of high-floor pitching, and have used 2017 and 2018 first-rounders DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez to add some possible impact to that group. They're also well-set in corner outfield bats in the high minors, and don't have a single up-the-middle infielder in full-season ball. Oregon State shortstop Cadyn Grenier, their second draft pick this year, changed that.
So it's no surprise that in selecting players from the Dodgers' system to trade for Machado, the Orioles filled some more gaps.
Diaz is a higher-ceiling center field prospect than the ones the Orioles have in the high minors, Cedric Mullins and Ryan McKenna. Bannon joins Grenier as an intriguing infield prospect. Kremer joins a thin crop of pitching prospects in the high minors, a list that pretty much only includes the injured Hunter Harvey and left-hander Keegan Akin at Bowie. Pop is a hard-throwing reliever in a system in which they're scarce. Valera is the Orioles' latest attempt at a utility man, a role they haven't filled since Ryan Flaherty left last year.
