Ahead of their 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday, the Orioles were left with just one left-handed arm in the bullpen after veteran Dietrich Enns was sent to the 15-day injured list with a left foot infection.
Shortly after the victory, 7News anchor Ari Alexander reported that Baltimore agreed to acquire left-handed pitcher Nick Raquet from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The O’s are sending 22-year-old infield/outfield prospect Brayden Smith in return, the team confirmed in an announcement this morning.
We have made the following trade: pic.twitter.com/yNI9kXQXfC
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 7, 2026
Smith, a 13th-round selection by the O’s last year, was promoted to High-A ball this year after hitting .200 with 12 walks for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds a season ago.
In a corresponding move, Baltimore is transferring veteran starting pitcher Zach Eflin to the 60-day injured list after he exited his first start of the season with an elbow injury.
Raquet, 30, was a third-round selection by the Washington Nationals in the 2017 MLB Draft. After quitting baseball around the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lefty eventually signed a minor league deal with St. Louis in 2024.
It was in the Cardinals’ minor league system where Raquet transitioned from a starting pitcher to a relief arm.
In 25 appearances last season for the Springfield Cardinals, St. Louis’ Double-A affiliate, Raquet posted an 8-1 record, 0.77 ERA, and five saves. He struck out 38 batters and walked just six across that span.
His dominance in Double-A netted him a promotion to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, where he posted a 5.19 ERA in 14 relief appearances during the 2025 season.
Raquet’s sweeper reigns as his most common and dangerous pitch from a season ago, notching a career-high 51.1% chase percentage for Memphis in 2025. The lefty also posted the best strikeout percentage of his career last season with Memphis at 29.3%.
Baltimore got familiar with the 30-year-old after he made an appearance against the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on April 1. He threw two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and earning the win in the game.
Raquet has only made two big league appearances in his baseball career, both coming for St. Louis in September of last season. He tossed two innings and allowed no runs across the two games.
He also appeared in three games for the team in spring training, allowing one run and tallying five punch outs across three innings.
Raquet was quickly activated, with the team sending down last night’s starter, Brandon Young, in the corresponding move.
Lost in the transaction is the team’s need for a long-term fifth starter to round out the rotation with Eflin down for a while. Right-hander Dean Kremer is likely the favorite for the position, but don’t rule out Cade Povich or Brandon Young to potentially have an impact after both fostered impressive starts for the Birds.
As Raquet gets acclimated to his new home and Baltimore’s management sorts out its pitching possibilities, the O’s are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season after their chilly low-scoring victory in Chicago on Monday night.
Baltimore’s undefeated ace Trevor Rogers is on the bump with the first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m.
