Orioles Outright Matt Krook

The Orioles announced yesterday that left-hander Matt Krook was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk after clearing waivers.  Baltimore designated Krook for assignment earlier this week to open up some 40-man roster space in the wake of the team’s slate of trade deadline moves.

Acquired from the Yankees in a cash trade last February, Krook’s time in Baltimore has included a single Major League appearance — one inning pitched in the Orioles’ 11-2 loss to the Rangers on June 30, as Krook was charged with two earned runs in his lone frame of work.  The southpaw has otherwise spent the season in Norfolk, posting a 4.11 ERA and a very solid 27% strikeout rate over 35 relief innings, but a big 16.4% walk rate has undermined Krook’s results.

Control problems have long plagued Krook, as he has a 14.6% walk rate in his 569 2/3 career minor league innings.  Despite all the free passes, Krook’s ERA in the minors is still a respectable 4.03, since he misses a lot of bats and does an outstanding job of avoiding home runs and keeping the ball on the ground.

The move to full-time relief pitching in New York’s farm system last season only improved Krook’s overall numbers apart from continued issues with walks.  Krook’s time with the Yankees did pay off in the form of his big league debut last season, though he was tagged for a 24.75 ERA in four innings over four appearances.

This was the first time Krook has been outrighted off a 40-man roster, and he is obviously far short of five seasons of MLB service time.  As a result, Krook had to accept the outright assignment and couldn’t opt for free agency.  It wouldn’t have been a surprise if another team had been interested enough for a waiver claim, but for now Krook will remain as a depth option for the Orioles at Triple-A.