On Aug. 3, just ahead of the MLB trade deadline, the Baltimore Orioles traded reliever Tyler Wells.
Now playing for the Tampa Bay Rays, the 31-year-old arm is now opening up about his time spent in Baltimore.
Orioles’ Former Pitcher Discusses Experience in Baltimore
GettyThe Baltimore Orioles traded Tyler Wells to the Tampa Bay Rays in early August ahead of the trade deadline
Wells was shipped out by the Orioles in exchange for minor leaguer Michael Forret just before the MLB trade deadline sounded off.
The veteran reliever had spent nearly six seasons in Baltimore. Chaos erupted across the Major Leagues as Wells, among a handful of others across the league, was shipped out.
According to Jake Rill of MLB.com (via X), Wells recently touched on the subject, sharing his thoughts during his latest media appearance on Friday.
“Baltimore, obviously, is always gonna hold a special place in my heart. I went from a Double-A player who hadn’t played in 2 years to all of a sudden, I’m in the big leagues,” said Wells. “Been with them through some pretty significant moments through the last 6 years.”
He added, “To be able to come back and play them today is a little weird in that sense, to be on the other side of some of the lifelong friends that I’ve created over there. But Baltimore itself is a special city. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart, and the fans being able to come out and do what they do. It’s like the ‘O!’ during the national anthem, it’s things that you’ll never forget in that way.”
“Baltimore, obviously, is always gonna hold a special place in my heart. I went from a Double-A player who hadn’t played in 2 years to all of a sudden, I’m in the big leagues. Been with them through some pretty significant moments through
At the time of this writing, the right-hander owns a 2.47 ERA and 61 strikeouts across 58.1 innings through 46 games.
Along the way, he’s walked 15 batters.
Watching Wells close his chapter with Baltimore was saddening for his loyal fans, but change in inevitable in Major League Baseball.
Where the Orioles Stand Right Now
GettyManager Craig Albernaz and the Baltimore Orioles are now last in the American League East standings
After holding onto the No. 4 spot in the American League East standings for quite some time, Baltimore has since dropped to last place.
At 58-63 overall, the Toronto Blue Jays (59-64) have just barely edged them out.
The division is still led by the Rays (74-46), the New York Yankees (68-53) and the Boston Red Sox (65-56) in first, second and third, respectively.
On Friday, Aug. 14, the Orioles will enter their first clash against Tampa Bay at 6:10 p.m. ET. This four-game series is being held at Tropicana Field.
Baltimore is coming off a 2-1 series loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Once their long stretch with the Rays wraps up, the Orioles will return home to welcome the Yankees to Camden Yards.
As shown by FanGraphs’ MLB Playoff Odds on Aug. 14, Baltimore has an 11.7% chance of making the playoffs and a 0.4% chance of winning the World Series this year.
The clock is ticking as the postseason nears, and Baltimore is looking to make a run and end the season on a high note.
Former Orioles’ Pitcher Speaks Out on Time Spent With Baltimore Franchise