Of all the Baltimore Orioles’ possible trade candidates, right-hander Bryan Baker barely warranted a mention, if he received mention at all.

But on Thursday, the Orioles traded Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays for the No. 37 pick in the 2025 amateur draft, which begins Sunday. The move could signal a sweeping series of sell moves by Baltimore, similar to what the Rays orchestrated at last year’s deadline.

The Rays traded nine players last July, acquiring 16 players in return, only two of whom, infielder-outfielder Christopher Morel and outfielder Dylan Carlson, were major leaguers. The Orioles, arguably the most disappointing team in baseball, are in position to make a similar number of deals.

“To whatever degree that we make trades, I hope that we evaluate the talent well and do moves that are positive for the organization for the long term,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday. “This is something that was not our plan, to be trading players off the major-league team in July. But we’re responding to the situation. We’ll see what the next few weeks bring.”

Baltimore’s potential free agents include All-Star designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins and outfielder Ramón Laureano, as well as a number of right-handed pitchers — starters Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton and relievers Andrew Kittredge, Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto. Another righty, starter Zach Eflin, is expected to return from a lower back strain after the break.

The Orioles could expand their list of trade candidates to include closer Félix Bautista, who is under club control for two additional seasons. Their plan, however, is to compete in 2026. The Rays had the same intention last July. But with the exception of Morel, none of their additions projected to help the following season.

Unable to address most of their immediate needs, the Rays simply expanded their talent base. The Orioles likely will take a similar approach. They badly need controllable starting pitching, just as they did last offseason. Few teams have such pitching to trade. The ones that do generally hold onto it.

If the Orioles can’t get the pitching they want at the deadline, they can at least add prospects, increasing their depth for potential offseason deals. The return for Baker, reflecting the high price for a reliever under club control for three additional seasons, will help in that regard.

The Orioles now hold the Nos. 19, 30, 31 and 37 selections in the draft. The 19th pick is their first rounder. The 30th and 31st were the compensation picks they received for free agents Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, respectively. The 37th is the Rays’ competitive-balance choice, the only kind of pick that can be traded.

“By and large, we’ve drafted well the last six years,” Elias said. “A lot of that is the great players you see out on the field. All drafts are important, but when you have this amount of picks, it’s more important. There’s no question: We have a big opportunity ahead of us, and the draft is the lifeblood for a franchise like ours.”

The Rays, too, figure to be busy up to the deadline. At 50-43, they currently hold the second AL wild-card spot, sitting 1 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees. They also are four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. When competitive, the Rays generally engage as buyers and sellers. And their bullpen has sagged in recent weeks.

Baker, whose 42 appearances are only four shy of San Francisco’s Tyler Rogers for the most in the majors, should help stabilize the group. His results — a 3.52 ERA and .729 opponents’ OPS — aren’t overwhelming. But he has struck 49 and walked only nine in 38 1/3 innings, and the Rays are known for getting the most out of their pitchers.

Additional reporting by Tim Britton.

(Top photo of Bryan Baker: Edward M. Pio Roda / Getty Images)