The Orioles announced Thursday that they’ve claimed right-hander Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Mariners, who’d designated him for assignment earlier in the week. Left-hander John Means was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Stoudt has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Stoudt, 26, was the Mariners’ third-round pick in 2019 and for a few years ranked among the organization’s most promising pitching prospects. Though he was never quite as highly touted as current rotation members like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo during their own prospect days, Stoudt was a well-regarded member of a deep Mariners pitching pipeline. He was talented enough to be included as a secondary piece — behind headliners Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo — in the trade that netted Luis Castillo from Cincinnati.
Stoudt would go on to make his big league debut with the Reds in 2023, pitching just 10 1/3 innings. The Pennsylvania native was tagged for 11 runs on 16 hits and eight walks over a stretch of four one-off appearances, being optioned back to Triple-A Louisville after each. Most of the damage against him came in his debut effort, when he was rocked for seven runs in four innings. The Reds removed him from the 40-man roster in the 2023-24 offseason, and the Mariners wound up reacquiring Stoudt via waivers.
Although Stoudt made six sharp starts in Triple-A with the Reds following the 2022 trade that sent him to Cincinnati, he struggled in Louisville last season, posting a 6.23 ERA in 82 1/3 frames. Things haven’t gone any better so far in 2024. He’s made 12 appearances with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma (11 starts) and posted an unsightly 6.92 earned run average. Stoudt has fanned a well below-average 14.9% of his opponents and issued walks at nearly as high a clip (12.4%).
Rough as his performance in Triple-A has been, Stoudt is an optionable starter with big league experience and a heater that sits just shy of 95 mph. Scouting reports during his prospect peak credited him with plus command — though that hasn’t been the case this season, clearly — with Baseball America calling his split-changeup an at-times “diabolical weapon” that lacked consistency. He’ll give the Orioles some needed rotation depth on the heels of season-ending surgeries for Means and Tyler Wells, and it’s always possible that Baltimore could shift him to a short relief role and see if his stuff plays up and allows him to emerge as a high-end relief option.
Baltimore has to lead the league in waivers claims over the past two years
And they found a number of valuable pieces. Ohearn, columbe trade, webb… They seem to have an eye for talent other teams miss on.
O’Hearn was acquired via trade from the Royals, as opposed to a waiver claim. Some of the pieces they’ve acquired via trade that have flown under the radar have been impressive from a production standpoint though.
He was DFAd then traded for cash which is the same thing basically. Baltimore was just willing to throw in $5 to make sure they “claimed” him
A year ago Levi Stout was part of the Reds future SP plan. Now the Reds wouldn’t have claimed him (if he fell that far). Good luck with Baltimore Levi.
The Reds definitely acquired a lot of useless junk in those 2 Mariners trades. Saddest part is Fraley has been the best piece and he’s completely inept vs lefties.
Marte was pretty good before he got popped for PEDS. Arroyo’s just hurt. TBD on what they got.
Dunne, Stoudt and Williamson are pretty much busts from the trades. Meanwhile Castillo has already been an All Star for the Mariners. It’s going to take at least one All Star Appearance from Marte or one of the others to even be close to even.
He makes good jeans. I’ll give him that much.
Another cool uncommon first name to the roster. Adley, Colton, Gunnar, Grayson and Cedric say “welcome to Baltimore, hon”.
Chito Martinez would be proud
I like his jeans because they’re good and Stoudt.
The Pride of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University, and possibly the heir to Stoudt’s Brewery!
stoudts.com/
We never found him real Stoudt. But he was a good BP pitcher for opponents.
These pitching additions seem to come an go with regularity, Do to injuries or performance the M’s are rated no better then 10th best with the pen ✒ the churning will continue.