Davey Johnson Passes Away
Longtime Major League manager and infielder Davey Johnson passed away on Friday at age 82. A four-time All-Star during his 13-year playing career, Johnson went on to manage five different teams over 17 seasons as a manager, capturing a World Series with the Mets in 1986.
Breaking into the majors with the Orioles in 1965, he emerged as Baltimore’s everyday second baseman the following year, and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Johnson also won his first World Series ring that same season, adding a second with the Orioles in 1970. Such superstar teammates as Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer drew most of the headlines during this golden age of Orioles baseball, but Johnson provided excellent glovework (three Gold Gloves) and above-average offense while locking down the keystone.
Johnson delivered one more All-Star season with the Braves in 1973, hitting 43 home runs in what stood as the single-season record for a second baseman until Marcus Semien went yard 45 times with the 2021 Blue Jays. Johnson’s production then declined in 1974, and he spent the 1975-76 playing in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. It was something of a tumultuous two-year run that saw Johnson fight through some injuries to ultimately help the Giants reach the 1976 Japan Series, and Johnson then returned to the majors for his final two MLB seasons with the Phillies and Cubs in 1977-78.
Regarded as a future manager even early in his career, Johnson indeed turned to minor league managing almost immediately after retiring as a player, and started managing in the Mets’ farm system beginning in 1981. This led to a promotion as the Mets’ big league skipper in 1984, and Johnson immediately led New York to a string of five straight seasons with at least 90 wins. This excellent run included a pair of NL East titles in 1986 and 1988, highlighted by the 108-win team in 1986 that remains the most recent Mets club to capture a World Series title.
Things eventually soured between Johnson and Mets GM Frank Cashen, leading to Johnson’s firing in 1990. This essentially set the tone for the rest of Johnson’s managerial career — he would lead a team to success, yet would be dismissed relatively quickly due to clashes with ownership or upper management. Johnson’s next four stints as a skipper saw him never stay with a team for longer than three seasons, even though Johnson had a sub-.500 record in just one of his eight final full seasons as a manager.
For instance, Johnson’s feud with infamous former Reds owner Marge Schott saw Johnson dismissed after the 1995 season, even though he led Cincinnati to the NL Central title and a NLDS victory over the Dodgers that remains the Reds’ most recent postseason series win. Johnson then returned to his old stomping grounds and led the Orioles to postseason appearances in both 1996 and 1997, but even winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 1997 didn’t smooth over a dispute between Johnson and O’s owner Peter Angelos.
Johnson managed the Dodgers to a 163-161 record in 1999-2000, marking the only time Johnson didn’t lead a team to at least one postseason berth as a manager. He spent much of the next decade managing in international baseball, while also working for the Nationals in a consulting role (beginning in 2006) that paved the way for his final managerial job in 2011, when Johnson took over as interim skipper following Jim Riggleman’s resignation. Johnson was made the full-time skipper following that initial year in Washington, and won NL Manager of the Year honors for leading the Nats to their first NL East crown in 2012. Johnson was 70 years old during his final season in Washington, however, and the Lerner family didn’t view him as a long-term manager, so Johnson retired after an 86-win season in 2013.
Known for his brash personality, Johnson’s outspoken ways may have hurt him in terms of keeping steady employment, yet it certainly aided his ability to manage a clubhouse. Johnson was viewed as being somewhat ahead of his time in terms of running a team, being one of the first skippers to use some analytics to help in formulating his game plans. A mathematics major during his college days, Johnson’s reputation for using analytics to gain an edge on the field earned him the ironic nickname of “Dum-Dum” from his Orioles teammates.
Johnson’s career managerial record was 1372-1071 over parts of 17 seasons. His resume as a player includes 136 homers and a .261/.340/.404 slash line over 1435 games and 5465 plate appearances during his 13 MLB seasons, good for a 112 wRC+. Though Johnson has fallen short of Hall of Fame induction on multiple veterans’ committee ballots, his overall body of work in baseball would certainly seem worthy of Cooperstown, and it can be argued that Johnson could deserve a HOF nod based on his managerial work alone.
We at MLB Trade Rumors express our condolences to Johnson’s family, friends, and peers.
Diamondbacks Claim Elvin Rodriguez
The D-backs have claimed righty Elvin Rodriguez off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both teams. Arizona transferred first baseman/designated hitter Pavin Smith to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Smith was placed on the 10-day IL in late August, so the move to the 60-day injured list officially ends his season.
Rodriguez signed a split major league deal with the Brewers over the winter after pitching well in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball from 2023-24. He pitched 18 2/3 innings with Milwaukee and just one inning with Baltimore, combining for an ugly 9.15 ERA between the two teams. He’s been far better in Triple-A, logging a combined 40 1/3 frames with a 4.46 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate between Norfolk and Nashville.
The now-27-year-old Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the 2022 Tigers (29 2/3 innings) and pitched even more briefly with the 2023 Rays (3 1/3 innings). He’s allowed more than a run per inning in his 52 2/3 big league frames but has a decent track record in Triple-A and turned in a sparkling 1.80 ERA in 45 innings pitching in Japan. Rodriguez is in the second of three minor league option years. If the D-backs hold onto him into the 2026 season, he’d still have one option remaining, but given his rough performance in the majors this year, it’s far from a sure thing he’ll stick on the roster that long.
As for Smith, the quad injury will formally end a season that started in impressive fashion but faded as the year progressed. Smith hit .270/.348/.547 in 158 plate appearances last year and came roaring out of the gate with a .291/.347/.473 slash in 174 plate appearances through the end of May. He’s since cratered with a .208/.310/.375 batting line in 114 plate appearances and now won’t get a chance to pull himself out of that slump.
Even with the poor finish, Smith touts a .262/.357/.475 slash and 17 homers in 446 plate appearances dating back to last year. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 29% better than average in the batter’s box. The lefty-swinging Smith has the benefit of being platooned, and the D-backs will surely look to pair him up with a righty bat next year, but he’s emerged as a viable contributor on the strong side of a first base or DH platoon — a welcome development for a former top-10 pick who hit just .240/.319/.379 through his first 1094 MLB plate appearances from 2020-23.
Orioles Outright Corbin Martin
The Orioles announced that Corbin Martin accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. The right-hander cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Tuesday. There has not yet been a resolution on Elvin Rodríguez, who was also DFA two days ago.
Martin spent a couple months in Tony Mansolino’s bullpen. He gave up 12 earned runs over 18 innings. Martin recorded a solid 25.8% strikeout rate but was plagued by walks and the home run ball. He gave up three runs apiece in his final two appearances against the Giants, though his defense let him down with a pair of errors in his last outing on August 31. While there was some poor luck in that appearance, Martin was pushed out when the O’s needed 40-man roster spots for Tyler Wells and Jorge Mateo.
Baltimore also ran Martin through outright waivers around the All-Star Break. He elected free agency that time but re-signed one day later. The 29-year-old decided not to try his luck on the open market this time around. It would’ve been too late into the season to be playoff eligible elsewhere. He’d likely have been looking at a minor league contract with a non-contender. It made more sense to stick with the O’s for the final weeks of the regular season. He’ll elect minor league free agency going into the offseason if the Orioles don’t call him back up this month.
Trevor Rogers’ Reemergence
At the 2024 trade deadline, the Orioles traded upper minors hitters Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to the Marlins for reclamation starter Trevor Rogers. Many perceived it as an overpay, and the deal immediately went south. Rogers, who was carrying a 4.53 ERA for Miami, allowed 16 runs in 19 innings over his first four starts with the Orioles. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A within three weeks and he was a non-factor for a postseason bound club.
This season didn't start out any better. Rogers began the year on the injured list with a right knee subluxation. Baltimore optioned him back to Triple-A when he was healthy. Outside of one strong spot start on May 24, the 6'5" lefty wasn't on the radar into the middle of June. Baltimore's big league rotation -- which was without Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish and Zach Eflin -- pitched so poorly that their season was more or less finished by the time they recalled Rogers on June 18.
Stowers added insult to injury by carrying Miami's lineup with a pair of power barrages in April and July. He's streaky but now looks like the Marlins' best position player. Even if Norby doesn't work out, Miami is thrilled with their end of the deal. As recently as the middle of June, it looked like a complete bust for Baltimore. It wasn't a lock they'd even tender Rogers a contract for his final season of arbitration.
Two months later, Rogers is the favorite to be on the Camden Yards mound for Opening Day 2026. He had a rocky first start after being recalled, giving up three runs without escaping the third inning against Tampa Bay. He has taken the ball 12 times since then and been the best pitcher in baseball.
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Orioles Designate Corbin Martin, Elvin Rodríguez For Assignment
The Orioles announced that right-hander Tyler Wells and infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo have been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Catcher Maverick Handley has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in one corresponding active roster move. Right-hander Corbin Martin has been designated for assignment to open a second active roster spot and one 40-man spot. Righty Elvin Rodríguez, who was on optional assignment, has also been designated for assignment as the other corresponding 40-man move. The Wells activation was reported last week.
Mateo has been out since June due to a hamstring injury. The speedy utilityman hit just .180/231/.279 with a homer and 14 steals in 65 plate appearances prior to going on the injured list. The 30-year-old has never provided much in the way of offense, but even by his modest standards, that was well shy of the norm. In 1300 plate appearances from 2021-24, Mateo slashed .225/.271/.371 (79 wRC+) with 29 homers and 90 stolen bases. Mateo has long provided quality glovework at shortstop, though, and he can capably handle second, third or center field — all while providing elite speed on the bases.
This is the final guaranteed season the Orioles have with Mateo, though they can retain him via a club option for next season. They’d need to bring him back at a $5.5MM price point, however, which feels steep given the season he’s had and his prior lack of offensive production. There’s no buyout on the option, making it all the more likely that the O’s will turn it down, though there’s always a chance they’d try to bring him back at a lower rate.
Martin, 29, has been on and off Baltimore’s roster a few times this year. Around the transactions, he has tossed 18 innings, allowing 12 earned runs for an ERA of 6.00. He likely deserved better. His 10.1% walk rate was high but his 25.8% strikeout rate and 44.2% ground ball rate were solid figures. A .353 batting average on balls in play and 65.7% strand rate seemingly pushed some extra runs across. His 3.57 SIERA pointed to better run prevention going forward.
Regardless, the O’s have decided to move on again. Martin doesn’t have options and therefore can’t be easily sent back to the minors. With the trade deadline having passed, he’s destined for the waiver wire. If some club claims him, he can be controlled for four seasons after this one. He cleared waivers back in July, so it’s possible he’ll do so again. Last time he cleared, he exercised his right to elect free agency, which is another thing that could happen again in the coming days.
Rodríguez, 27, signed with the Brewers in January on the heels of some good results in Japan. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to have success in North America this year. The Brewers designated him for assignment in July, at which point the Orioles claimed him.
Between those two clubs, he has a 9.15 ERA in 19 2/3 major league innings. He has also tossed 40 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.46 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. Though the results haven’t been great, he does still have options, so perhaps he will appeal to a club looking for some extra depth in the minors.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
Rockies Claim Roansy Contreras
The Rockies have claimed right-hander Roansy Contreras off waivers from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. The O’s designated him for assignment last week. The Rockies had an open 40-man spot after they optioned righty Nick Anderson and he exercised his right to elect free agency. Contreras is out of options, so the Rockies will need to open an active roster spot for him once he reports to the team.
Contreras, 25, has been in an awkward position for a while now. He exhausted his final option season with the Pirates in 2023 and was therefore out of options going into 2024. He has shown enough potential to draw plenty of interest from other clubs but often just enough to be the last guy on the roster.
The Pirates designated him for assignment in May of last year, which kicked off a rampage through the transaction logs. Over the next few months, via small trades or waiver claims, he went to the Angels, Rangers, Reds, Orioles, Yankees and Orioles again.
The O’s finally passed him through waivers unclaimed around Opening Day 2025, allowing them to keep him as non-roster depth. He tossed 91 2/3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk over 14 starts and 14 relief appearances. In that time, he had a 3.73 earned run average. His 8.4% walk rate and 40.9% ground ball rate were close to average but his 17.8% strikeout rate was subpar. The O’s called him up for one long relief appearance in the majors, in which he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, but then sent him back into DFA limbo.
His previous big league work largely aligns with that recent Triple-A showing. He has thrown 239 major league innings with a 4.63 ERA, 19.6% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate and 39.3% ground ball rate.
He’s a sensible pickup for the Rockies, who almost always need more pitching. That’s certainly true this year, as their collective 6.01 ERA is easily the worst in the majors. The Nationals are second-last on that list but almost a full run better that Colorado at 5.33. They are about to lose Germán Márquez to free agency and released Austin Gomber not long ago.
Contreras is out of options but has just over two years of service time, meaning he can be retained for four seasons beyond this one. The Rockies can get a close-up look at him down the stretch here in 2025 and decide if they want to work him into their plans for 2026 and beyond. He has experience working both from the rotation and the bullpen and could potentially take either role with the Rockies.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
Cody Poteet Elects Free Agency
The Orioles announced that right-hander Cody Poteet, who was outrighted off the roster a couple of days ago, has elected free agency instead of accepting the assignment. He has that right since he has been previously outrighted in his career. Also, the O’s recalled catcher Maverick Handley and reinstated Albert Suárez from the 60-day injured list as their September call-up moves. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but Suárez returning now make it full again.
Poteet’s 2025 has mostly been lost to injuries. He landed on the IL on April 21st due to shoulder inflammation. He began a rehab assignment August 23rd, over four months later. After a couple of rehab outings, the O’s put him on waivers instead of reinstating him from the injured list. Around the injury, he has only made one big league appearances for the O’s.
As a free agent, he’ll be marketing his pre-2025 track record. He came into the year with 83 big league innings under his belt and a 3.80 earned run average in that time. His 20.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate were both a bit shy of league average, while his 42.1% ground ball rate was right around par. He has also shown a bit more potential in the minors. Last year, he tossed 53 innings over 13 starts in the Yankees’ system with a 3.40 ERA, 28% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 43.7% ground ball rate.
It’s also been an injury-marred season for Suárez. After many years pitching in Asia, he had a strong campaign for the O’s in 2024. Working in a swing role, he threw 133 2/3 innings with a 3.70 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. This year, shoulder inflammation sent him to the IL after just one appearance and he’s been there until today.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
Vinny Nittoli Opts Out Of Orioles Deal
Right-hander Vinny Nittoli is opting out of his minor league deal with the Orioles, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. Nittoli will now head into free agency and be eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs on a fresh contract.
Nittoli, 34, was a 25th-round pick by the Mariners back in 2014 and has spent his decade in professional baseball largely as a minor league journeyman. After spending a few years in Seattle’s minor league system, Nittoli departed affiliated ball in 2017 and spent two seasons pitching for the independent American Association before making his return to the minor leagues. Over the course of 12-year professional career, he’s suited up for the Mariners, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Mets, A’s, Orioles, and Brewers at the Triple-A level. In all that time, however, he’s received only scattered playing time in the majors with 15 big league appearances in total.
In that sporadic MLB playing time, Nittoli has pitched to a 2.41 ERA with a 4.30 FIP across 18 2/3 innings of work. Nittoli has struck out just 17.3% of his opponents while walking 6.7%, but those numbers of course come in too small of a sample size to draw any substantial conclusions from. After spending a great deal of time at Triple-A, looking at his results at that level may tell a more complete story. He’s posted a 4.76 ERA at the highest level of the minors in 223 innings across parts of six seasons. With that said, he’s struck out a much more robust 28.3% of his opponents while walking 8.4%.
Those stronger strikeout numbers have been enough to get Nittoli plenty of interest from all of those aforementioned organizations on minor league deals over the years, but this year’s poor results even in the minors have limited his ability to crack a major league roster. In 39 1/3 innings of work between the Triple-A affiliates of the Brewers and Orioles this year, Nittoli has posted a 4.58 ERA, including a ghastly 6.35 in ten appearances in Baltimore’s organization after opting out of the pact he’d spent the first half of the year with Milwaukee on. Now Nittoli has opted out once again and will look to find a job that provides a better path to the majors ahead ahead of September 1, after which time newly-signed players are not eligible to participate in the postseason with their new club. As for the Orioles, they still have arms like Yaramil Hiraldo, Josh Walker, and Elvin Rodriguez on the 40-man roster as depth options for their bullpen over the season’s final month.
Orioles Outright Cody Poteet
The Orioles announced this afternoon that right-hander Cody Poteet has been activated from the 60-day injured list and outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The club had not previously announced that Poteet was placed on waivers, but he evidently cleared and now will head to the minor leagues if he accepts the assignment.
Poteet, 31, made just one appearance for the Orioles this year where he surrendered five runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of work while walking two and striking out just one. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins all the way back in 2015, Poteet did not make his big league debut until 2021. He spent two years in Miami as an up-and-down swing man, with a 4.45 ERA and 5.15 FIP in 58 2/3 innings of work. That roughly league-average work (with below average peripherals) on the mound, but a UCL injury limited him in 2022. He signed with the Royals on a minor league deal while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but returned to free agency following the 2023 season having made just one appearance for Triple-A Omaha that year.
Poteet signed a big league deal with the Yankees prior to the 2024 season, and it was in the Bronx where the right-hander posted the best numbers of his career. Poteet made only five appearances (four starts) for New York last year, but in those 24 1/3 frames he posted a sensational 2.22 ERA. The right-hander’s peripherals (including a 16.7% strikeout rate and a 4.03 FIP) weren’t quite as impressive as those raw results, but he still demonstrated the ability to be a valuable depth starter and swing man for the Yankees. He was tendered a contract for the 2025 campaign by the Yankees and stuck around on the club’s 40-man roster but was traded to the Cubs back in December as the return for Cody Bellinger.
The right-hander entered Spring Training with the Cubs but did not make the club’s roster out of camp after a strong showing from non-roster invitee Brad Keller. Poteet was DFA’d to make room for Keller on the roster and found himself back in the AL East shortly thereafter when he was traded to the Orioles in late March. After Poteet made his aforementioned single appearance for the Orioles on April 20, he was shelved with right shoulder inflammation that has kept him out of action ever since. Poteet did begin a rehab assignment last week and threw two scoreless innings for the Norfolk Tides, and now that he’s been activated from the shelf and outrighted to the minors he’ll continue pitching for the Tides through the end of the year if he decides to remain in the organization.
Of course, that’s not necessarily guaranteed. Poteet was outrighted to the minors by the Marlins previously in his career, meaning that he has the opportunity to reject Baltimore’s assignment in favor of electing free agency. Poteet will remain eligible for a team’s postseason roster if he signs with another organization prior to September 1, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land elsewhere as a depth option for a pitching-hungry club still in the playoff hunt. Of course, with Poteet only built up to one inning so far and minimal work at the big league level this season, the righty might also simply go wherever gives him the best shot of cracking a big league roster in September, whether that’s staying in the Orioles organization or signing a fresh contract elsewhere.
Orioles Release Matt Bowman
The Orioles released right-hander Matt Bowman, according to the team’s official transactions page. Bowman was designated for assignment earlier this week, which marked the fourth time this season Baltimore had sent the righty to DFA limbo.
This time, however, the O’s opted to just release Bowman rather than outright him off the 40-man roster. Bowman cleared waivers after his previous three DFAs and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, even though he had the ability to elect free agency after any of those outrights. It could be that the Orioles and Bowman agreed to a release this time just to give Bowman a bit more opportunity to catch on with a contender before August 31 (the postseason roster eligibility deadline), or perhaps the O’s are just ready to part ways with the 34-year-old.
Since Bowman is out of minor league options, his last few seasons have been a flurry of moves on and off rosters, with 59 1/3 total innings and 48 appearances with five different teams since Opening Day 2023. That includes a four-inning stint with the Yankees in 2023, appearances with the Orioles and three other clubs in 2024, and a return to Baltimore in the form of 24 2/3 frames in the majors this year. With only a 6.20 ERA over those 24 2/3 innings, Bowman didn’t do much to help his case to stick in the Orioles’ bullpen.
His 4.10 ERA, 21.8K%, and 5.5% walk rate over 26 1/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk has been better, even if his ERA has been inflated by home runs. Bowman could possibly parlay these solid numbers into another minor league contract elsewhere, and a return to Baltimore’s organization probably can’t be ruled out if Bowman can’t find a deal with a new club.