The Orioles announced Monday that they’ve signed catcher Nick Ciuffo and righty Claudio Custodio to minor league contracts. Baltimore also confirmed its previously reported minor league deals with lefty Fernando Abad and right-hander Conner Greene.
Ciuffo, 25, was the No. 21 overall draft pick by the Rays back in 2013. He never graded out as a top prospect but made it to the big leagues with Tampa Bay in 2018 and 2019, hitting a combined .186/.250/.279 in a tiny sample of 50 plate appearances. Had he been healthy in 2019, he’d quite likely have gotten a longer opportunity to boost those numbers, but thumb surgery cost him 10 weeks of the season.
Ciuffo spent the 2020 season at the Rangers’ alternate training site but didn’t reach the Majors, where Robinson Chirinos, Jeff Mathis and Jose Trevino shouldered most of the workload before top prospect Sam Huff’s arrival. In seven minor league seasons, Ciuffo is a .250/.299/.379 hitter with a 45 percent caught-stealing rate. He’ll give the O’s some catching depth behind Chance Sisco and Pedro Severino, joining the recently outrighted Austin Wynns as a non-roster option in camp.
The 30-year-old Custodio once ranked near the back end of the Yankees’ top 30 prospects as an infielder, but he moved to the mound in 2015. Injury wiped out his 2017 campaign, and he obviously lost another year to the lack of a minor league season in 2020. Custodio spent 2019 in the Braves organization, where he pitched to a 2.48 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 83 1/3 innings between Class-A and Double-A.
This will push the Orioles over the top. They were closer than everyone else thought and this guy is the secret weapon that will make the difference. It wouldn’t surprise me if this guy wins AL MVP next season. The Orioles are going all the way in 2021 thanks in no small part to this acquisition right here. Also… Bumgarner equals NLCS.
Good lord Tigers, please sign Casali already. I would love to have a top 50 free agent, but this is the very least thing you can do for the DET fans! Greiner had his shot.. it’s time to move on.
Nick Ciuffo and Claudio Custodio….O’s have a thing for last names ending in “o”….maybe Antonio Conigliaro is next?
Palmeiro.
@dimitri. Even at 56 years old Rafael could probably help the Orioles win a few games.
He’s be better than Chris Davis….certainly can’t be any worse
@bob that may be the most useless statement ever made. Can MLB trade rumors close this comment thread. I’m finding your statement problematic, dangerous, offensive and hurtful to marginalized people with last names ending in O. They need to be protected from such reckless comments.
I’m hoping this comment is satire, @Twinsfan
@pinkerton Satire? What’s that? You live with your privilege of having your precious consonant as the last letter of your last name. Singling out the A’s, E’s, I’s, O’s, U’s and sometimes Y’s. Letting us know we’re second class and not as good as the consonant crew. It’s hurtful and wrong and the hate stops here! Never again MLB trade rumors protect us from these fiends and hate mongers please.
…and us vowels always had to sit at the back of the alphabet….
@Twinsfan, you’re my new favorite commenter haha
FWIW, my real last name ends in “o’….as does my first…..and yes, I’m Italian by nationality…..
@Twinsfan333
I second this as my last name ends with the letter O.
Good news for Phillies fans. Another catcher off the board
As a Orioles fan I am stunned a little for not signing better FA. Ciuffo is just a catcher at the AAA level and he could see action in the bigs this season because after Severino not too much left. Sisco is not really panning out. The Orioles top prospect catcher is at least a year away.
Custodio I have no clue. The only thing I can say about him is minor league depth.
Minor League depth? Are you talking about Custodio or the Orioles 40- man roster?
(I’ll show myself out)
What is your team? Let me guess the Yankees or the Dodgers.
( I will show myself out)