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Jesus Sucre Accepts Outright Assignment

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The Orioles announced Tuesday that catcher Jesus Sucre accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk after clearing outright waivers. He’ll remain in the organization but will no longer require a 40-man spot for the time being.

Sucre, who was designated for assignment over the weekend as part of a series of roster moves, inked a minor league pact with the O’s back in February but broke camp as the team’s primary backstop. In 67 plate appearances prior to that DFA, he hit .210/.269/.242 with a pair of doubles.

He’s never been much with the bat, as evidenced by a lifetime .222/.260/.302 slash line in 721 Major League plate appearances, but the defensive-minded Sucre went 4-for-8 in thwarting stolen-base attempts in his short time with the Orioles. Framing metrics weren’t particularly bullish on Sucre in his tiny sample of work this season, but he’s received quality marks in that regard in the past.

With Sucre joining Chance Sisco in Triple-A, the Orioles are relying on Austin Wynns and Pedro Severino behind the plate, though that duo’s grip on their respective 25-man roster spots is hardly ironclad. Severino, a waiver claim who is out of minor league options, has hit well in 47 PAs but had a career .560 OPS prior to being claimed by Baltimore. Wynns, meanwhile, is already 28 and has never hit much above the Double-A level. That said, with Sisco struggling in Norfolk, it doesn’t seem that there’s any current impetus for a change behind the plate at the big league level.

Orioles Claim Shawn Armstrong

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4:41pm: Per a team release, the Orioles have optioned right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Armstrong on the active roster.

1:37pm: The Orioles have claimed right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong off waivers from the Mariners, per Greg Johns of MLB.com. Armstrong had been designated for assignment after the Mariners promoted Justus Sheffield. Armstrong will replace catcher Jesus Sucre on the 40-man roster. Sucre was recently designated for assignment by the Orioles. Roch Kubatko of MASN adds that Armstrong, who is out of minor league options, will be placed on Baltimore’s active roster.

For the Orioles, the addition of Armstrong essentially represents a swap for pitcher Mike Wright, who was recently designated for assignment and subsequently acquired by the Mariners in a minor trade.

Though he has struggled mightily early in 2019, Armstrong’s career numbers resemble those of a serviceable relief pitcher. He has appeared in 57 career games, striking out 56 batters in 61 2/3 innings and posting a 3.65 ERA. However, he has never appeared in more than 21 games in any season since breaking into the Major Leagues with the Indians in 2015. Walks have at times been an issue for the right-hander, having walked three batters in 3 2/3 innings this season. The 28-year-old joins an Orioles bullpen that has had great difficulty suppressing the long ball early this season. Though the O’s have given plenty of pitchers opportunities to claim a bullpen role, few have been able to provide steady production. Baltimore will look for Armstrong to solidify himself as a relief option for the rebuilding club.

Orioles Designate Jesus Sucre, Place Alex Cobb On IL

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As part of a series of roster moves, the Orioles have designated catcher Jesus Sucre for assignment and placed right-hander Alex Cobb (lumbar strain) on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Saturday. The team also recalled Sucre’s replacement, catcher Austin Wynns, as well as righties Branden Kline and Luis Ortiz from Triple-A Norfolk, and optioned righty Jimmy Yacabonis.

Sucre made the Orioles’ season-opening roster after signing a minor league deal with the rebuilding team in the offseason, though the light-hitting 30-year-old’s production has fallen short even by his standards. Sucre batted a meager .210/.269/.242 with no home runs in 67 plate appearances prior to his designation. Defensively, while Sucre has always been adept at throwing out runners and has caught 4 of 8 would-be base thieves in 2019, he has been a bottom-of-the-barrel framer this season and has given up an AL-worst three passed balls.

As with Sucre, this season has been tough sledding for Cobb, who has struggled to live up to the four-year, $57MM commitment Baltimore’s prior regime made in him entering 2018. Not only has Cobb pitched to a dreadful 10.95 ERA/11.81 FIP and yielded an eye-popping nine home runs in a three-start, 12 1/3-inning span this season, but this is the second time a lumbar strain has sent him to the IL. The injury previously shelved the 31-year-old for two weeks.

Orioles Reportedly Listening To Offers For Mychal Givens

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The Orioles are listening to offers for reliever Mychal Givens, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link). On a rebuilding, talent-deprived club that doesn’t have many enticing trade chips, the right-handed Givens stands out as someone who would draw plenty of interest on the market. Givens hasn’t been elite at preventing runs since last season, having posted a 4.06 ERA in 88 2/3 innings, but he has generally done well in that department (3.18 lifetime ERA) while logging appealing strikeout and walk rates (10.46 K/9, 3.34 BB/9) in 272 frames since his 2015 debut. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is also affordable ($2.15MM salary) and controllable through the 2021 season.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/26/19

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We’ll keep track of Friday’s minor moves throughout the league here…

  • The Orioles announced that right-hander Josh Lucas, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll remain in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old Lucas made three appearances for the O’s prior to his DFA, tallying 4 1/3 innings of work and allowing a pair of runs. He’s spent time in the Majors in each of the past three seasons now, working to a combined 5.19 ERA in a small sample of 26 innings. In 108 2/3 career innings of Triple-A ball, Lucas has a 3.32 ERA with just under a strikeout per inning and 2.6 BB/9.

Mariners Acquire Mike Wright

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The Mariners have acquired righty Mike Wright from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Infield Ryne Ogren will head to the Baltimore organization in return.

Wright was designated for assignment recently by the O’s. The out-of-options hurler will head onto the active roster for the M’s. He’ll need to remain there or be exposed to waivers.

The results haven’t been there for Wright, who carries a 5.95 ERA through 242 career frames in the majors. He has been hurt by the long ball this year, surrendering five in just 13 1/3 innings of work en route to a ghastly 9.45 ERA.

It’s not entirely clear what the Mariners hope to accomplish with the move beyond adding another arm to the stable. Perhaps their analytics department has an idea for how to squeeze improved results from his raw stuff, which includes a four-seam fastball that sits at around 94 mph.

As for Ogren, the 22-year-old was a 12th-round draft pick in 2018. He has been stationed at the Class A level to open the 2019 season, where he carries a .229/.319/.343 slash in 48 plate appearances.

Orioles Option Cedric Mullins, Select Stevie Wilkerson, Designate Josh Lucas

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The Orioles announced a series of roster moves Monday afternoon: Opening Day center fielder Cedric Mullins has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, while infielder Stevie Wilkerson has had his contract selected from Norfolk to take Mullins’ place. In order to clear a spot on the 40-roster for Wilkerson, Baltimore has designated right-hander Josh Lucas for assignment.

Mullins, 24, stumbled to a slow start to open the year but excited Orioles fans with a two-triple game against the visiting A’s back on April 8. The organization hoped that day might’ve served as a turning point for the talented young center fielder, but he’s instead collected just two hits (both singles) in 44 plate appearances since that time. Mullins hasn’t been striking out at a lofty rate, with just nine punchouts in that time, but he’s already popped up to the infield on five occasions this year.

A 13th-round pick back in 2015, Mullins moved fairly quickly through the Orioles’ farm system; he only logged 125 games in Double-A and another 60 in the Majors before making his big league debut last year. It’s certainly feasible that he needs a bit more development time in Triple-A, where he held his own last year but didn’t exactly excel (.269/.333/.438 in 269 PAs). The Orioles likely still view Mullins as a potential long-term piece in the outfield, but he’ll be asked to earn his way back to the big leagues for the time being. In his place, it seems likely that Joey Rickard will step up and assume more playing time in center field.

The 27-year-old Wilkerson was outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this year but will return for a second stint on the Orioles’ 40-man roster. He made his MLB debut with the club last year but didn’t fare well in a minuscule sample of 49 plate appearances (.174/.224/.239). Wilkerson, however, is a .290/.338/.481 hitter through 35 games at the Triple-A level and a career .268/.342/.371 hitter in parts of six minor league seasons. He’s played second base, third base, shortstop and corner outfield in the minors and should give manager Brandon Hyde some versatility off the bench.

As for Lucas, the 28-year-old made a trio of appearances for the O’s after being selected to the big leagues earlier this month. In 4 1/3 innings, he yielded a pair of earned runs on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Lucas has spent a bit of time in the Majors in each of the past three seasons now, and in 108 2/3 career innings of Triple-A ball, he has a 3.32 ERA with just under a strikeout per inning and 2.6 BB/9 while working primarily as a reliever.

Orioles Eyeing Rutschman, Witt With Top Pick

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  • The Orioles, who hold the No. 1 overall pick in this June’s draft, currently are considering high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman but haven’t made any firm decisions as to who they’ll take, per MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubtako. It’s of course worth noting that with more than a month to go until the draft, a different player could soar up the pre-draft rankings and thrust himself into the mix for the top selection. Similarly, a currently projected top pick could still give teams cause for concern and/or incur an injury. Both Rutschman and Witt were pegged as top-three overall picks in the first of what will be several mock drafts over at Baseball America, where Rutschman was projected to go to Baltimore.

Orioles Select Gabriel Ynoa’s Contract, Designate Mike Wright

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The Orioles have selected the contract of right-hander Gabriel Ynoa from Triple-A, as per a team announcement.  Right-hander Mike Wright has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Ynoa tossed 53 innings for the Mets and Orioles in 2016-17 before being limited to just seven Double-A innings in 2018 due to both rotator cuff inflammation and shin splits.  Ynoa has a 3.60 ERA, 3.59 K/BB rate, and 5.7 K/9 rate over 926 career minor league innings, relying on strong control and grounder rates rather than a lot of missed bats.  The 25-year-old could simply replace Wright in the bullpen, though Ynoa has started all three of his Triple-A appearances this season and could potentially step into Baltimore’s rotation on at least a temporary basis.  The Orioles don’t have a scheduled starter for their game against the White Sox on Wednesday.

A third-round pick for the Orioles in the 2011 draft, Wright was seen for years as a future rotation piece for the O’s, but he has simply not been able to get on track at the Major League level, either as a starter or as a reliever.  The right-hander has a 5.95 ERA, 2.04 K/BB rate, and 7.1 K/9 over 242 Major League innings, and has long had issues (career 1.6 HR/9) keeping the ball in the park.  At age 29, it remains to be seen if Wright has a post-hype breakout in him, though such an opportunity could come with another organization since he is out of options.

Orioles Activate Alex Cobb

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  • The Orioles brought righty Alex Cobb off the IL on Saturday to make his first start since a right lumbar strain sent him to the shelf on April 6. In hindsight, the Orioles probably wish they’d have started someone else. Cobb endured one of the worst outings in his career in a loss to the Twins, who thrashed him for nine earned runs on 10 hits and three homers in 2 2/3 frames. It continued a subpar Orioles tenure for Cobb, now in the second season of a four-year, $57MM contract. The rebuilding Orioles would likely jump at the chance to deal him, but Cobb’s ongoing woes won’t make it easy to find a taker.
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