O's game blog: Gausman faces Yankees, Orioles add draft pick, Reyes in GCL

Pitching on the same day that ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Orioles are willing to discuss him in trade talks, right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 5.00 ERA) gets the start for the O's tonight in New York.

The report said the Orioles "appear to be willing" to talk about Gausman and immediately it sent some fans into a frenzy of worry on Twitter this afternoon.

Keep in mind it is a big leap from they appear willing to talk to making an actual trade. Also with so much talk that the Orioles don't have the top prospects to make a big deal, you had to figure they would need to potentially deal from their major league roster to get a good return.

Nothing to panic about yet, folks. No one has been traded, and we can't diss a trade before we even know the particulars. But stay tuned, the rumor season is now at a fever pitch.

Gausman will be making his fourth Orioles start of 2015. He has given up two, zero and eight runs in the first three. In nine career games (three starts) versus New York, he is 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA. He is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in four career games at Yankee Stadium. He made his last two starts for Triple-A Norfolk, allowing two earned runs and nine hits over 11 innings.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (1-3, 3.42 ERA) makes his fifth start of 2015 tonight as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery. He gave up four runs in 6 2/3 in his last start against Boston. In 13 career games against Baltimore, he is 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA.

Meanwhile, earlier today the Orioles added a 2016 draft pick when they were awarded the fifth pick in Round B through MLB's Competitive Balance Lottery.

Introduced when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement began in December 2011, the Competitive Balance Lottery gives teams that have either one of the 10 smallest markets or 10 smallest revenue pools one of six additional choices after each of the first and second rounds.

The Orioles were not among the teams that had a chance at a Round A pick that follows the first round, but they were in the lottery for Round B and were awarded the fifth pick that will follow the draft's second round in June of 2016. That pick this year was No. 74 overall.

According to MLBPipeline.com, in 2015 picks in Competitive Balance Round A added an average of $1,566,617 to each team's draft pool. The Competitive Balance Round B picks augmented each club's pool by an average $839,940.

The Competitive Balance Round picks are the only draft picks that can be traded, subject to some restrictions. Each lottery pick can be traded only once and cash can't be involved in the transaction. The choices can be dealt only during the regular season, up until 5 p.m. ET on the first day of the draft.

Right now, the Orioles have a first rounder, two second rounders and this pick awarded today in the Top 75 or so selections next summer. If they extend qualifying offers to any of their free agents after this season and are turned down, they will get one pick for each refusal.

Earlier today the Gulf Coast League Orioles beat the Twins 12-0. Single-A Delmarva third baseman Jomar Reyes, playing there on an injury-rehab assignment, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Reyes, out since mid-June with a sprained right thumb, went 0-for-7 in his first two GCL games.

The 18-year-old, ranked as the Orioles No. 10 prospect by Baseball America, played in 54 games this season for Delmarva. Reyes hit .283 with two homers, 24 RBIs and a .767 OPS.