The Orioles traded for Christian Franklin from the Nationals on August 3, sending right-hander Joe Glassey back to Washington in a move that gives Baltimore another outfield option for the final two months. Franklin, 26, was on the Nationals' 40-man roster, but the Orioles still will have to clear space and add him to theirs before he can join the club.
The timing matters because Baltimore has an opening in the outfield with Taylor Ward heading to Seattle, and Franklin brings a profile the Orioles can use right away if they choose to make the roster move. He hit.249 with six homers and 17 stolen bases in 93 games with Rochester this year, and he has played all three outfield spots, with most of his time coming in the corners.
Franklin is not arriving as a pure lottery ticket. After joining the Nationals organization last July in the deal that sent Michael Soroka to the Cubs, he put up a 119 wRC+ at Triple-A and had his contract selected over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. That gave Washington a reason to keep him on the 40-man roster, even as Baltimore saw enough to make the trade.
The swap also sends a different kind of player the other way. Glassey, who Baltimore signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, has logged a 2.64 ERA across 30 2/3 innings this season between High-A and Double-A, with a 42.1% strikeout rate in 24 appearances. Washington gets a longshot bullpen piece and clears a 40-man roster spot, while Baltimore gains a player who could make his MLB debut this year if the roster shuffle is finished in time.
For Franklin, this is the second straight deadline in which he has changed teams. For the Orioles, the next step is straightforward and unavoidable: if they want the outfielder in Baltimore, they have to make room first.
