MLB Twitter reacts to Oakland Athletics trading pitcher Cole Irvin to Baltimore Orioles for prospect Darell Hernaiz: "What are the A’s doing"

Oakland Athletics v New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees

The Oakland Athletics have traded starting pitcher Cole Irvin to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for two talented prospects. Irvin was one of the Athletics' top players in 2022, pitching 181 innings. His ERA for the year was 3.98, a marked improvement from his career average of 4.40. The Orioles are also receiving pitching prospect Kyle Virbitsky for Darell Hernaiz.

Hernaiz is one of the Orioles' top infielder prospects and could be an impact player in the MLB down the line. He is only 21 years old and likely a few years away from his big league debut. Losing Irvin is a blow to Oakland's pitching rotation and a solid addition for Baltimore.

Jeff Passan broke the news of the trade and provided all the details via Twitter.

The Baltimore Orioles play in the always-competitive American League East against the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. So beefing up the starting pitcher rotation should help them compete. Irvin has shown potential and will gain the advantage of one of MLB's best catchers, Adley Rutschman.

For the Oakland Athletics, this is more of the same that they have become accustomed to. They accumulate prospects and assets while trying to trade players before they hit free agency. This allows them to keep their payroll costs down while still trying to field a competitive team. However, this has not been a winning strategy in recent years.

As the 2023 season approaches, teams are more capable of evaluating positions of need that have to be filled. The Orioles were looking for a big league pitcher who would be ready to start on Day One and were willing to give up a promising prospect. The A's are unlikely to challenge for a playoff spot in 2023, so preparing for the future is smart.

This is a trade that fits the strategies of both teams and is equally beneficial.

The Baltimore Orioles are finally on the upswing, while the Oakland Athletics are on the decline

Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman
Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman

After years at the bottom of the league, the Orioles have put together a talented young team. The A's are on the other side of the spectrum, spending less money than they have in decades and accepting their fate as a losing team in the short-term.

It is an exciting time to be a fan of the O's, and the opposite may be true for A's fans.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein