10:15am: Connolly tweets that the both Kline and Urena remain with the Orioles organization and neither has been released. We regret the inaccuracy.
8:50am: Right-hander Branden Kline and infielder Richard Urena were both among the Orioles’ wave of recent releases, according to J.J. Cooper and Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. The Athletic’s Dan Connolly previously reported that the Baltimore org had cut 37 low-level minor leaguers, but both Kline and Urena add two former big leaguers to the list of Baltimore cuts. Both had been removed from the 40-man roster back in February, however.
Kline, 28, appeared in 34 games for the O’s last season, tallying 41 innings of relief in his debut campaign at the Major League level. Things didn’t go particularly well, however, as Kline was clobbered for a 5.93 ERA (5.87 FIP) with averages of 7.5 strikeouts, 4.2 walks and 1.98 homers per nine innings pitched. The 2012 second-round pick’s work in Triple-A wasn’t any better. That said, Kline is a season removed from pitching to a combined 1.64 ERA in 65 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced (20 2/3 innings) and Double-A (45 innings). He averaged 9.7 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 while recording 17 saves that year, although it should be pointed out that he was a fair bit older and more experienced than the average competition at those levels.
As for Urena, the 24-year-old had spent his entire career with the Blue Jays organization prior to being claimed off waivers by the Orioles back in January. Baltimore designated Urena for assignment in February upon claiming fellow infielder Andrew Velazquez, and the O’s were successful in passing Urena through waivers, thus keeping him in the organization without committing a 40-man roster spot to him.
Urena appeared in a combined 91 games with the Jays from 2017-19, appearing at shortstop, second base and third base (in addition to three innings in left field and one inning on the mound in a blow0ut game). But while Urena is a versatile defender, he’s yet to show much at the plate in the Majors or upper minors. He’s a career .253/.300/.336 hitter in 263 MLB plate appearances and a .250/.289/.373 hitter in 670 plate appearances with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.
both of those guys should be on someone’s taxi squad
Kline with an ERA around 6 and Urena, who can’t hit a baseball. Orioles castoffs aren’t typically well sought after commodities.
Perfect fit.
Gave me a laugh. Thank You
You have a terrible mind for baseball if you believe that. Two guys who aren’t even good enough to stay on the worst team in the league’s 40 Man shouldn’t be on anyone’s taxi squad.
bad teams cut players that get picked up by others all the time. also, 50 man taxi squads give you 1500 player slots, and honestly i feel like there arent 1500 baseball players in US systems or free agency that are better than these two. Kline showed promise in the minors in 2018, and Urena has been a solid utility man at times. Dont see either being an OD 30 man player, but very possible they make any team’s back end.
I always liked Urena. Hopefully he gets another chance
I like how his name is Dick Urena, because I am 10 yo
LOL…
This was truly an irrevocable egregious error and I’ll expect your resignation on my desk by days end. Good day sir
FAKE NEWS
MLBTR doesn’t need to appologize too much. If you checked Baseball America’s list yesterday, the Rays released Anthony Banda, a relatively unlikely possibility. They’ve corrected it this morning.
Lots of fake news is generated by the desire to be first, and to get clicks. And EVERYBODY does it; see Jesse Smolette and Nick Sandman. It’s a systemic problem.
it appears very few modern “journalists” are real journalists. (on both sides really) whole lot of fishing for views and copying off other sources. at least some out there still do a good job at it, but not enough.
A lot of it isn’t the journalists fault, it’s owners and editors who push this, but it is also the public/fans themselves who create this ‘immediacy’ culture too.
But on the bright side, both Kline and Urena are eligible for today’s MLBTR Expansion Draft!!
Do you ever wonder if baseball players ever read our comments?
It’s the GMs who could learn something from time to time
😉
The Pirates haven’t taken my calls since I said trading Meadows, Glassnow and Baez for Chris Archer was a good idea.
Just can’t understand some people……
I traded for Urena in “out of the part 17” when he was a top prospect!