The Orioles have designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera for assignment and reinstated Jordan Westburg from the 10-day injured list, per a team announcement. Baltimore also optioned lefty Grant Wolfram to Triple-A Norfolk, clearing a spot for the activation of lefty Jose Castillo, whom the O’s claimed off waivers yesterday.
Rivera, 29, came to the Orioles following a DFA in Miami last summer. He erupted for a .313/.370/.578 slash and four homers in 73 plate appearances down the stretch, prompting the O’s to tender him a $1MM contract in the offseason. He hasn’t replicated that output in 2025, however. Through 127 turns at the plate, Rivera has logged a tepid .250/.291/.283 slash that more closely resembles his career .245/.305/.360 output in 1169 plate appearances.
He’s still a quality defender at third base and has added some experience at first base, but Rivera is out of minor league options and thus couldn’t simply be sent to the minors without first being removed from the 40-man roster by way of a DFA. He’ll now be made available to the game’s 29 other teams via outright waivers. If and when he clears, Rivera would have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency (both by virtue of having more than three years of MLB service and a prior outright in his career).
It’s been a stop-and-start year for the 26-year-old Westburg. He’s been highly productive when healthy enough to take the field but has endured lengthy IL stints owing to both a hamstring strain and a right ankle sprain. He’s just now returning from the latter of those two maladies after spending nearly a month on the shelf.
When he’s been able to take the field, Westburg has popped 25 extra-base hits (15 homers, nine doubles, one triple) and recorded a stout .276/.326/.473 batting line while splitting his time between third base and second base. Dating back to last season, Westburg has belted 33 home runs in just 751 plate appearances — despite being a right-handed hitter in a ballpark that overwhelmingly sapped right-handed power in 2024 (before altering their left field dimensions this past offseason).
Westburg is controllable for another four seasons in Baltimore and won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2026 season. He’s been limited to just 73 games this season, but he’s demonstrated potential 30-homer pop if he can remain healthy for a full year. He’ll enter the offseason lined up as the Orioles’ starter at third base, joining shortstop Gunnar Henderson and second baseman Jackson Holliday as locks in the infield at Camden Yards.
Former top prospect Coby Mayo is currently getting plenty of run at first base but has yet to solidify himself as a credible hitter at the MLB level. Samuel Basallo, another touted prospect (whom the Orioles recently extended), will also be in the mix for reps at first base. Longtime O’s slugger Ryan Mountcastle is also still in the picture, but he’s slumping badly to close out a down year overall and will be owed a raise on this year’s $6.78MM salary ahead of his final season of club control, making him a non-tender or trade candidate.
How does a dude that big have absolutely zero power?
Hits for contact, sprays or splashes the ball up the middle or between middle IFs and OFs.
Best beard in MLB. Someone sign the Beard!
James Harden cowers in fear every time Rivera gets a media story
Hopefully westy can finish strong and healthy. Really tough to see injuries pile up in general, hurts even more when they’re quality impact players.
So they DFA the UIF who is hitting a little bit?
They kept Vazquez who isn’t hitting, I take it in case they are in another blowout loss and need him to pitch?
They kept Mateo, who still can’t hit. I take it they kept him out of courtesy to showcase him to other teams…but he basically is a pinch runner. I don’t understand why not DFA him, let another team get him? He’s already getting paid.
It would be nice to see what Westburg could put up over a full healthy season.
Mounty due a raise from almost $7 mil is crazy, he’s not worth half that at this point. Cut bait.
If Jeremiah Jackson gets time at 3rd when Westy is down or at DH, you don’t want his defense or lack thereof in late innings if it’s a close game, so they needed Vazquez and Rivera for that reason alone.
not good research. Mountcastle’s slugging is up 100 pts since coming off IL…
paosfan – Mountcastle slugged .348 before going down and .390 since coming back in August (only .222 the last 9 games…small sample…I guess that’s the “slumping badly”).
But is .390 slugging/.702 ops since coming back really adequate for a 1B/DH supposedly in his prime who would still get 9-10M+ in arb?
He also K’s in about 32% of his PA and some of his fielding metrics are down this year despite no errors.
I wish they would have traded him in 2023 or that offseason when he had value. Now they can’t get much and I would non-tender if no trade. They can do much better.