Orioles trade for familiar face in OF Cameron

BALTIMORE -- On the first day of the offseason, the Orioles wasted little time getting in on the action, making a move to bring back a familiar face.

Baltimore acquired outfielder Daz Cameron in exchange for cash considerations in a trade with the A’s on Thursday. The 27-year-old -- who is the son of former MLB outfielder Mike Cameron -- spent the 2023 season in the O’s organization after being claimed off waivers from the Tigers in November 2022.

Cameron was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training in 2023, then got assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. He slashed .268/.346/.452 with 23 doubles, 16 home runs, 67 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 110 games for the Tides that season.

This year, Cameron played 66 games for the A’s, posting a .200/.258/.329 slash line with five doubles, one triple, five homers, 15 RBIs and five steals in 66 games. He also spent time with the A’s Triple-A affiliate, where he slashed .307/.424/.577 with 15 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 27 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 41 games.

In 2015, Cameron was selected by Houston with the No. 37 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A of the MLB Draft. Orioles general manager Mike Elias was serving as the Astros’ scouting director at the time.

It’s unsurprising that Baltimore’s first move of the offseason brought in a right-handed-hitting outfielder. The O’s will be looking to add depth in that area, considering Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Cedric Mullins are all lefties. Also, Anthony Santander and Austin Slater are now free agents who could potentially not return.

Like Slater, Cameron has the ability to play all three outfield spots, which could provide value.

A new director of pitching (source)

Chris Holt, who served as the Orioles’ director of pitching from 2020-24, has left the organization, according to a source, with Forrest Herrmann set to take over the role for ‘25. The club has not yet confirmed the moves.

Herrmann was Baltimore’s Minor League lower-level pitching coordinator in 2024, after previously serving as Double-A Bowie’s pitching coach in ‘23. He will now oversee the O’s pitching development program at all levels.

Holt had been in the Orioles’ organization since 2019, which was Elias’ first year as GM. Holt also served as the O’s pitching coach from 2021-23, before Drew French took over in ‘24.

Front office promotions

The Orioles announced a series of front office promotions on Thursday, headlined by Mike Snyder going from senior director of pro scouting to vice president of pro scouting.

Snyder has spent the past 16 seasons in Baltimore’s baseball operations department.

Here’s the full list of promotions:

“I am proud to announce these promotions, which reflect the growth of our front office and the ascent of the organization as a whole," Elias said in a statement. “The pro scouting department has made a tremendous positive impact in shaping our roster and farm system. The baseball analytics group has provided the high-quality information and cutting-edge tools that shape everything we do in our offices in the warehouse and across our scouting and player development operations.

“The work of these staff members has been indispensable in our winning more games than any team in the American League the last two seasons. I’d like to thank David Rubenstein and the entire ownership group for their commitment and investment toward continual improvement in baseball operations."