Whether the Orioles uncovered another diamond in the rough with last week’s unheralded acquisition of right-hander Gabriel Ynoa in a trade with the pitching-rich New York Mets remains to be seen, but executive vice president likes the potential the 23-year-old possesses to eventually crack the starting rotation.
Ynoa posted strong minor league numbers, recording a 59-30 record, a 3.36 ERA and 1.174 WHIP in parts of seven professional seasons. And even though Ynoa struggled in his brief stint with the Mets last season, Duquette believes there are indications that Ynoa has the stuff to compete at the big league level.