NEW YORK — Baltimore infielder Jonathan Schoop strolled into the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, unsure whether he should suit up or stay in his street clothes.
As it turned out, there was no longer a need for the Curacao native to put on his Orioles uniform.
Schoop joined the exodus from the Orioles along with pitchers Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day, part of a payroll purge by an underperforming team that has cut nearly $29 million in payroll obligations for this year and next while acquiring 14 prospects, one major leaguer and $2.75 million in international signing bonus allotment in exchange for six veterans.
Signed by Baltimore at just 16 years old, Schoop played parts of six seasons with the club and was an All-Star last year, when he hit .293 with a career-high 32 home runs and 105 RBIs. He had regressed a bit this season, hitting .244 with 17 homers.
“It’s difficult,” Schoop reflected. “This is the team that gave me the chance.”
The Orioles obtained $2.5 million in international bonus allotment from Atlanta on Tuesday for the pitchers and also received four prospects: right-hander Evan Phillips, infielder Jean Carlos Encarnacion, catcher Brett Cumberland and left-hander Bruce Zimmerman.
“The overall talent that we got, we think we got some big leaguers from that group and we’ll continue to add to our talent base to develop our future teams here,” general manager Dan Duquette said.
Baltimore acquired infielder Jonathan Villar along with a pair of minor leaguers from Milwaukee for Schoop, getting right-hander Luis Ortiz and infielder Jean Carmona. The Orioles raised their international signing bonus allotment to $8,273,500.
“Villar is a very capable major league infielder who had a great year in 2016. That was an opportunity to add an infielder and then also some young talent, a young pitcher in Ortiz,” Duquette said. “And we really like the switch-hitting shortstop, Carmona.”
Although a bit melancholy about leaving the only organization he’s known, Schoop was looking forward to playing meaningful games down the stretch.
“It’s exciting to go there into a pennant race,” Schoop said of the Brewers, who hold the NL’s top wild-card spot and were just a game back of the first-place Chicago Cubs heading into Tuesday’s action. “They’re rolling right now.”
The 27-year-old Gausman was also an O’s lifer, drafted fourth overall in 2012. He was 39-51 with a 4.22 ERA over six seasons.
“We’re in a rebuild, obviously,” Gausman said. “It’s kind of a sad day. You see the band kind of broken up.”
The right-hander is going from the basement into the heat a pennant race, as well, a change he’s already embracing.
“After talking to their GM, they felt real strongly about my presence,” Gausman said about the Braves, who stood just a half-game out of first in the NL East entering Tuesday.
Baltimore began the day a major league-worst 32-74. The Orioles began the sell-off on July 18 by sending Machado, a four-time All-Star, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Yusniel Diaz, infielders Rylan Bannon and Breyvic Valera, and right-handers Dean Kremer and Zach Pop.
Six days later they dealt All-Star closer Zach Britton to the New York Yankees for right-handers Dillon Tate and Cody Carroll, and left-hander Josh Rogers. And on Sunday they traded reliever Brad Brach to the Braves for $250,000 of allotment.
“If we played better we wouldn’t have to do this,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I look at it as there’s a certain accountability for that.”
The Orioles cut this year’s payroll by $20,077,929 with the deals of the six plus $9 million from 2019, and they added $836,290 for this year with Villar. The Orioles started with a $151 million payroll for their 40-man roster.
Machado’s departure saved $6,365,591 from his $16 million salary, Britton’s $4,387,097 from his $12 million, Brach’s $1,749,435 from his $5,165,000, Gausman’s $1,836,559 from his $5.6 million, O’Day’s $2,951,613 of his $9 million and Schoop’s $2,787,634 of his $8.5 million. Schoop also has a guaranteed $9 million salary for next year.
Villar is owed $836,290 from his $2.55 million salary
Carroll and Valera were brought up from Triple-A Norfolk for Tuesday’s game.
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