It’s that time of year when teams add or subtract players depending on where they are in the standings, and where they think they might finish in September. Buyers and sellers. Add the Baltimore Orioles to the buyers list. The Orioles have been playing well above most people’s expectations all year, and are currently five games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East.
The Orioles added to their struggling offense today, when they traded with the Philadelphia Phillies and acquired Jim Thome for two young minor leaguers — right-hander Kyle Simon and catcher Gabriel Lino.
Simon, 21, was 2-8, 3.96 ERA in 14 starts for Class A Frederick.
Thome has 609 career home runs and is tied with Sammy Sosa for seventh place on the all-time home run list. Thome will add a veteran presence to the Orioles clubhouse, and extra power from the DH spot. Thome is known as a great teammate as well as a great baseball player. Thome has been limited somewhat this year, as he missed more than a month with a back issue. For the Orioles, Thome is expected to be primarily a designated hitter
“We felt Thome’s presence and our need on the major league team were worth the value we have to give up in a trade,” said Dan Duquette, the Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations. “We like both young players. They’re both in A ball. We needed some help to bolster our lineup.”
