O's prospect rankings shaken up after big trades
This browser does not support the video element.
BALTIMORE -- No team in baseball has seen more of a turnover in its farm system the past two weeks than the Orioles. In the process, half of the club's first 10 prospects in its new Top 30, as released by MLB Pipeline Thursday, are made up of fresh faces for the organization.
The Orioles acquired eight prospects in return for Manny Machado and Zach Britton. From that haul, outfielder Yusniel Diaz and Dillon Tate are in the team's updated top 10, with Diaz serving as the team's No. 1 prospect and Tate at No. 6.
From the 2018 Draft, the Orioles added three more names to the club's top 10 prospects: first-round RHP Grayson Rodriguez (No. 5), the club's competitive balance pick, shortstop Cadyn Grenier (No. 9), and third-round RHP Blaine Knight (No. 10).
Rounding out the top 10 are third baseman Ryan Mountcastle (No. 2), LHP DL Hall (No. 3), outfielder Austin Hays (No. 4), RHP Hunter Harvey (No. 7) and outfielder Cedric Mullins (No. 8).
Diaz and Mountcastle are the lone Orioles representatives in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, with the former coming in at No. 57 and the latter at No. 72. Mountcastle, who is hitting .315 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs with Double-A Bowie this year, also comes in as the No. 7 third base prospect.
This browser does not support the video element.
Of the other four players acquired in the Machado trade, RHP Dean Kremer ranks No. 13 in the Orioles system, followed by third baseman Rylan Bannon (No. 20) and RHP Zach Pop (No. 24). Infielder Breyvic Valera falls outside the Top 30.
As for the other two players in the Britton trade, RHP Cody Carroll comes in at No. 14 and LHP Josh Rogers is outside the Top 30.
From the 2018 Draft, one additional pick cracks the Top 30: fifth-round outfielder Robert Neustrom at No. 29.
As sellers in rebuild mode, expect the Orioles to potentially add -- not subtract -- to their list of Top 30 prospects as the non-waiver Trade Deadline on Tuesday approaches.
Worth noting
• Hays will return to action Friday with Class A Aberdeen for the first time since May 26 after dealing with an ankle injury.
• Outfielder Craig Gentry (rib) will begin a rehab stint with Low-A Delmarva on Monday.
• Infielder Steve Wilkerson (left oblique) will rehab in the Gulf Coast League on Monday and be transferred to High-A Frederick on Wednesday if all goes well.