AUG. 29: The Orioles announced today that McFarland has been optioned to Triple-A, meaning he’s been placed on the 40-man roster once again. It’s a fairly rare procedure, but McFarland had to technically be designated for assignment in order to clear optional waivers. Players that have options remaining but made their big league debut more than three years ago must first clear optional waivers before going to a minor league affiliate.
MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko wrote this morning that McFarland would likely be placed on optional waivers, but Borbon’s DFA is a traditional one. The team is hoping he’ll clear waivers and accept an outright assignment.
AUG. 28: The Orioles have designated left-hander T.J. McFarland and outfielder Julio Borbon for assignment, per a club announcement. They’ve also confirmed the signing of right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter and recalled fellow righty Oliver Drake from Triple-A Norfolk.
McFarland still has minor league options remaining, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets, but that didn’t stop the Orioles from designating him. The 27-year-old has endured a season to forget, having logged a 6.93 ERA, 2.55 K/9 and 3.65 BB/9 in 24 2/3 innings despite a 60.2 percent ground-ball rate. From 2013-15, McFarland amassed 105 appearances and compiled a 3.89 ERA, 6.12 K/9, 3.06 BB/9 and 60.8 percent grounder rate across 173 2/3 frames.
Borbon, 30, has spent most of the year with Double-A Bowie and has racked up just 15 major league plate appearances as a result. Those were the first trips to the plate in the majors since 2013 for Borbon, who has mostly been at the Triple-A level over the past couple years. Borbon has hit .273/.318/.347 with eight home runs and 47 steals in 878 major league PAs.
Shocking fall for McFarland and why are we bringing hunter back he was horrible if I’m not mistaken last time he was with Orioles
That’s cool you knew him
I grew up with TJ and his family. His older brother is one of my best friends and seeing this today kinda bummed me out. I felt like he never got a shot with the Os. It was like they didn’t really know what to do with him. They send to the minors where they use him as a starter then call him up for relief pitching. It’s happened since he joined them, it’s like they didn’t know how to use him and never did. Even he barley knew what his job was supposed to be. he just didn’t get a chance to get out of his slump this year.
I could see a team like Colorado picking him up with that 60% groundball rate.
Never got a shot? I am an Orioles fan and I watch most of their games so this is coming from someone who has seen him pitch quite a bit over the last few years. McFarland was given plenty of chances, a lot more opportunity than most get. The fact is, he’s just not very good. All he throws is an 89 mph sinker over and over and over again. He doesn’t strike anyone out and gives up way too many baserunners. I think TJ is a good clubhouse guy from what I hear and Buck seems to love him, which I think is part of why he continued to get opportunities when his cons clearly outweighed his pros on the field. Buck liked to bring him in after a RH starter to face a LH heavy lineup, except that it always seemed like lefties crushed him. I am just saying it’s not like TJ is this unreal talent that the Orioles couldn’t use correctly. TJ is just not very good and that’s the bottom line.
Also knew went TJ, played baseball and went to high school with him, he’s got great talent and will get another chance by a rebuilding team, perhaps he can get a chance to start again
Everyone in the minors has great talent. That doesn’t mean they have MAJOR LEAGUE talent. TJ has minor league talent. There is a vast difference.
I think most minor league guys have the talent to be big leaguers. The difference between the ones who establish themselves in the big leagues and the ones who don’t has to do with their mental toughness, focus, and their ability to handle adversity.
That’s just baseball. Hundreds of guys in the minors would love to get the opportunity he got. If you don’t succeed in the chances you’re given, you don’t stick around.
Why would the Orioles assign Julio Bourbon to the Bowie Baysox (AA) and not the Norfolk Tides (AAA)? Why would he have been called up in the first place from there? Hoes and Avery have MLB experience and all three CFs on Norfolk’s roster aren’t exactly hot prospects that they would theoretically be “rushing”.
Trade hunter Harvey, trade Christian walker, upgrade starting pitching!!!
Its got to be rough being a pitcher named TJ haha