The Orioles announced that right-hander Austin Voth cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll stick in the organization as depth but without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.
Voth, now 31, was designated for assignment over the weekend when the O’s claimed reliever Jorge López off waivers from the Marlins. Voth had spent the year working in the O’s bullpen, though he also spent over two months on the injured list due to right elbow discomfort. When healthy enough to take the mound, he posted a 5.19 earned run average over 34 2/3 innings, along with a 21.3% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate and 33.6% ground ball rate. Since he’s out of options, those tepid results got him nudged off both the active and 40-man rosters.
He originally came to the O’s via a waiver claim from the Nationals last year and showed encouraging results at first. He had a brutal 10.13 ERA for the Nats that year but then righted the ship with a 3.04 ERA with Baltimore after the claim. The Orioles were encouraged enough to tender him an arbitration contract for 2023, agreeing to a salary of $1.85MM and a $2.45MM club option for 2024.
Since Voth has over three years of major league service time, he had the right to reject this outright assignment and elect free agency. However, since he has less than five years of service, exercising that right would mean forfeiting the remainder of his salary. He has understandably decided to accept the assignment and keep that money coming over the next few weeks. He’ll be eligible for minor league free agency if not added back to the roster by season’s end.
Wow, just wow.
Wait, what?
Okay…I didn’t know he was dfa’d.
I am surprised he was not picked up and I am glad he stayed
He’s going to elect FA in a month. Doesn’t hurt to keep him in the Org but with Means coming back—-it’ll take quite a few IL placements to see him again.
Maybe you are right
He was half decent at one time
I like this. IMO, he was a difference maker in 22 in the back end of that BROtation.
“Voth just happened,” he may have asked as he was violently woken up from a deep sleep to be informed about this news (probably not).
Voth is not a reliever. He’s a starter. He needs to know when he’s pitching so he can prepare for days in advance to be ready. Some pitchers are like that.
He’ll probably never be a star. But the O’s worked with him in 2022 and he did well….when he was starting.
With MLB watered down by expansion, teams now going to 6 man rotations, and injuries aplenty, some team with a good pitching coach and philosophy needs to bring in Voth as a 4th, 5th, or 6th starter. He has ML experience and 4 decent pitches. With a little support and guidance the man can give a team 110-130 innings in 2024.
Wish the man well. Saw him do a nice job for the O’s in 2022. Just got crowded out by numbers….and as they’re continuing to improve, fans are going to realize just how good the O’s starting pitchers are doing. They can’t have the best record in the AL if their starting pitching is half as bad as the national baseball media makes it out to be.
Baseball hasn’t expanded in 25 years.
Your point?
I’m going to continue to press you on the SP point because its just not true. “just how good the Orioles SPs are” yet Irvin and Gibson continue to get starts?
Irvin is continuing to get starts because the team made a “commitment” to him not because he’s good. ’22 Voth is better than anything Irvin has showed in ’23.
Gibson is continuing to get starts because he’s getting the “big money” but 6 hits and 3 walks for a whopping 1.5 WHIP was lucky to only result in 3 runs allowed in that time and being carried by the offense yet again last night. Most of his starts are like that and he’s there to suck up innings at the back of the rotation…which is exactly what the national baseball media says about him and is exactly what is true when the orange-tinted glasses are off.
As for the rest of the rotation…
Bradish has evolved into a dependable above average pitcher if not better at times. He got off to a relatively rough start this year but other than one start in July (which happens) he’s had 13/14 quality starts with some flashes of dominance such as 10K against MIL in 5.0 IP in June and 8K, 1BB, 3H 0ER in 7.1 IP vs a decent MIA team in July. He’s up at 139 IP though which is high for him.
Gray-Rod has seemed to have found it since his recall, pitching to a 2.85 ERA and 48K and only 16 BB 40 H in 53.2 IP. He has 140 IP this year as well too though.
Wells? After I got attacked all year about my viewpoints on him his results regressed to his peripherals and then he was sent to AAA. Don’t hear much about how great he is any more.
Kremer- So are the last 5 starts (29.2 IP, 1.82 ERA, 24K, 7BB, 26H which has been really good) reflective of what he will be or is the rest of the season? I’m not quite sold yet but definitely a glimmer. Also….a career high 154 IP.
Still a below average rotation carried by (until Bautista injury) possibly the league’s best bullpen or at least a top 3. But its improved from the black hole I would have characterized it as last year. The trajectory its on – Gray-Rod could be borderline ace, Bradish very good, Kremer at least average, improve the back end – could make it above average in 2024 if they spent a little $ on it for once.
But for 2023….with Kremer, Gray-Rod, Bradish all hitting career highs in innings already, who’s around to pitch in the playoffs?
Also IMO TB MUST take 3/4 in the series next week if not sweep to have ANY chance of catching the Orioles. The Orioles also will clinch the season series tiebreaker with one more head to head win should the teams finish with the same record (O’s lead 6-3). Hard to believe that THIS team could end up with more wins than the 1982 or 1983 or 1997 team.
The demise of Voth. Time to wear all black and sway in the corner to the Smiths.