ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The clock hit 6 p.m. on July 30, and Seth Johnson thought he was in the clear.
Johnson figured he was a trade candidate as he waited out the deadline on a “little stressful” day inside the clubhouse at the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate in Bowie, Md. But once 6 o’clock passed and the right-hander hadn’t heard any news, he thought he’d be staying put.
Then Matt Blood, Baltimore’s vice president of player development and scouting, called. The team swung a last-minute trade with Philadelphia for reliever Gregory Soto. Johnson was heading to the Phillies organization.