The Orioles moved to bolster their starting rotation by acquiring right-hander Zach Eflin from the Rays for three prospects on Friday.

In exchange for the veteran right-hander, the Rays are receiving outfielder Matthew Etzel, righty Jackson Baumeister and infielder Mac Horvath. Horvath is ranked as Baltimore’s No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, while Baumeister was the Orioles’ No. 17-ranked prospect.

The first-place Orioles, who enter Friday night’s action with a two-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East, have been hampered by injuries to their rotation, with Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all undergoing season-ending UCL surgery in June. During the club’s 8-10 July slide, the rotation has pitched to a collective 5.54 ERA in July, the fourth-highest in baseball.

Eflin enjoyed seven solid seasons as a back-end starter with the Phillies, although his tenure was often interrupted by injuries. He was part of the 2022 club that reached the World Series and spent that postseason pitching out of Philadelphia’s bullpen. But when he reached free agency for the first time, the Rays jumped to give the Orlando-area native the largest free-agent contract in franchise history: three years and $40 million.

Eflin immediately made the signing look brilliant, as he went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA, 186 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 177 2/3 innings over 31 starts. Always known for his incredible command and control, Eflin saw his strikeouts tick up and his overall performance improve by increasing the use of his cutter and curveball behind his low-90s sinker. He was also healthier than ever, missing only 15 days in April due to a minor lower back injury.

Eflin hasn’t quite matched that level of production this season. The 30-year-old right-hander entered the final days of July with a 5-7 record and 4.14 ERA in 104 1/3 innings over 18 starts. But he remains an elite strike-thrower, barely walking one batter every nine innings, and he has proven his durability by working at least five innings in all but one start — and the lone exception came on June 5, when he cruised through four innings on 55 pitches in his first start back from the injured list.

The Rays valued Eflin’s contributions on and off the field, as an Opening Day starter and a clubhouse leader, but he became expendable for two reasons. The first is his $18 million salary for 2025, in addition to the remainder of the $11 million he’s earning this season. Tampa Bay is also poised to have plenty of rotation reinforcements on the way; left-hander Jeffrey Springs has been making rehab starts in Triple-A and should return soon, and ace Shane McClanahan should be back next year to headline a rotation also featuring Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz and potentially Drew Rasmussen, among others.