The Orioles announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk and cleared a spot on the roster by designating fellow southpaw Logan Allen for assignment.
Baltimore only claimed Logan, 24, off waivers from the Guardians 12 days ago. He appeared in three games with the O’s, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in just 1 2/3 innings. It’ll be a brief stop on the Orioles’ 40-man roster, and Baltimore will now have a week to trade Allen or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
Selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2015 draft, Allen was once a well regarded pitching prospect who’s been involved in his fair share of notable trades. Boston shipped him to San Diego alongside Manuel Margot, Carlos Asuaje and Javy Guerra in the trade that brought Craig Kimbrel to the Sox. The Padres subsequently included Allen and Franmil Reyes as part of the return in the three-team trade that brought Mike Clevinger over from Cleveland.
Allen has gotten a look in parts of four big league seasons, seeing action in San Diego, Cleveland and Baltimore. He’s tallied 96 1/3 innings but has just a 5.89 ERA to show for it. Allen has missed plenty of bats in the minors but has only a 15.5% strikeout walk against an elevated 9.6% walk rate during his time at the big league level. He’s also out of minor league options, so any team that picks him up won’t be able to send him to the minors without first passing him through waivers.
As for the 26-year-old Vespi, he was an 18th-round pick by the O’s back in 2015 and will be making his big league debut the first time he gets into a game. He’s not considered to be among the organization’s top-end pitching prospects, but his strong performance in Norfolk has become hard to overlook. Vespi has fired 14 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run, striking out 21 of 52 batters (40.4%) against just three walks (5.8%) along the way.
What happened in Baltimore for Allen? He had a 3.10 FIP through 4 games in Cleveland and then a 5.50 through 3 games for the O’s. Baltimore has even turned into a pitcher friendly park in 2022.
7.2 total innings this year…
Fans were curious why he was claimed in the first place, with Vespi doing well in AAA and all. I wonder if the intention all along was to try and get him through waivers and return him to a starter’s role, and if they lost him it was no sweat.
about time Vespi is called up
Logan, I think, was an original draft pick of the Red Sox. He’s had some good stops along the way. Journey-man ,maybe he comes back to where it all began.
I remember when he was 1st drafted and was a surprise sign. given that huge bonus for kind of a lower pick.. Like 7-8th round as remember and like 750k. An interview he gave where he said the scout who did the negotiations said he had a “Lester body and talent” always stuck with me.
Why a kid would go out and publicly put that albatross on his back to succeed to a lester level, rather than keep those words of inspiration to himself was beyond me.
Trade Logan Allen for Biggio from the Blue Jays
The guys the Orioles have to play 2nd are better than Biggio. Maybe not in name value. Even Odor is better.
@Bash
No way, I like Biggio
And I would give more than Allan, I was just kidding about that
I would make an offer that makes sense and give Biggio a shot with the Orioles
Blue Jays aren’t going to give up on Biggio especially not for a SCAB like Allen
I was being funny, but I would mMke a fair offer to the Jays
Allen is virtually no value
*has
It is all Good
Just read your remarks in the Biggio column just now. Send Allen, Hartman, Odor, and a draft pick for Biggio. I think that’s fair Lefty
Can you send a draft pick now?
No
I didn’t think so either
I think Elias reads the Orioles Hangout message board forums. Lol. Some have been wondering why Vespi didn’t get the call sooner. I’m glad to see it.
Time to get the homegrown talent involved rather than constantly relying on retreads. You have one of the top farm systems in MLB. Time to start acting like it.
Nick Vespi won’t be going back down..
He is going to become a very important and popular new Oriole—homegrown too, not some other team’s castoff.
good to see some pride from an orioles fan, i hope youre right, its been a long time since theyve been relevant
So is my math right? 19 years old in 2015. 7 years with the same organization. At 26 he gets his shot? Dude! I like this guy already. Wish him the best.
after being an 18th rounder out of JuCo. dude’s a trooper.
Allen and Reyes were part of the preposterous Taylor Trammell trade, not the Clevinger trade.