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MLBTR Podcast: Pete Alonso’s Deal, And Potential Landing Spots For Bregman and Arenado

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • Pete Alonso re-signing with the Mets (1:45)
  • What’s next for the Blue Jays after not getting Alonso? (9:25)
  • Will the Mets and Alonso going to reunite again in the future or will this be it? (12:55)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What teams could still sign Alex Bregman? (17:50)
  • Can the Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado to the Red Sox? (29:20)
  • Do the Orioles need an ace? (37:55)
  • What are the Marlins building right now? (39:30)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Poll: Who’s Winning The Offseason In The AL East?

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The calendar has flipped to February and the start of spring is just a matter of days away. While some notable free agents (including seven of MLBTR’s Top 50) remain unsigned, most clubs have already done the heavy lifting in terms of preparing their roster for the 2025 season. For the past week, we’ve been taking a look around the league at which clubs have had the strongest offseason to this point. The Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, and Tigers have decisively won the polls covering the National League’s three divisions and the AL Central, but things were much closer in the AL West where the Athletics narrowly beat out the Rangers. Today, we’ll turn our attention to the league’s final division: the AL East.

While the Yankees managed to make it all the way to the World Series before losing to Los Angeles in five games, 2024 was a less than stellar year for the rest of the division. The Blue Jays and Rays sold off pieces at the deadline after underperforming badly in the first half, while the Red Sox struggled down the stretch and ultimately missed the playoffs despite adding at the deadline. The Orioles, meanwhile, managed to make the postseason for the second year in a row but have still yet to win a playoff game between those two appearances after getting bounced by Detroit in two games during the AL Wild Card series. All five teams in this division are ostensibly attempting to compete again in 2025, however, and there’s been noteworthy moves all throughout the division this offseason.

Which team has done the most to set themselves up for success this winter? Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.

New York Yankees

A discussion of what the reigning AL champions have added this winter can’t begin without addressing what they’ve lost. Juan Soto signed a record-shattering contract to move across town to the Mets, and in doing so removed a vital piece from the heart of New York’s lineup. Down one perennial MVP candidate, the Yankees focused this winter on fixing up their roster around the one that still remains in Aaron Judge. The club kicked off the offseason by calling the bluff of veteran ace Gerrit Cole when he opted out of his deal with the club only to agree to return on his current deal rather than test free agency when the Yankees declined to tack on an extra year and $36MM to his contract to force him to stay. They then paired another veteran ace with Cole at the top of the rotation by signing southpaw Max Fried away from Atlanta, which freed them up to trade Nestor Cortes to the Brewers as part of a package that landed them star closer Devin Williams. Trading for Fernando Cruz and reuniting with both Tim Hill and Jonathan Loaisiga in free agency further bolstered the club’s strong bullpen mix.

While the club’s pitching moves have been quite impressive, the same can’t necessarily be said for the lineup. The club swapped Cody Poteet to the Cubs to acquire Cody Bellinger in what amounted to a salary-dump move for Chicago, and the addition of Bellinger allowed the club to move Judge back to his natural position of right field. With that being said, however, their only other move of note on offense has been to sign Paul Goldschmidt coming off a career-worst season. Those additions are likely upgrades over Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo, but losses of Soto and Gleyber Torres on offense have not been addressed. The Yankees have tried to trade Marcus Stroman to free up funds for further lineup additions, but that goal has not yet borne fruit.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles haven’t made the splashy addition many expected this winter after a difficult season that saw them get swept out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. Right-hander Corbin Burnes departed for Arizona and was replaced by veteran arms Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano rather than a true ace. Aside from those rotation additions, the club has also added Andrew Kittredge to its bullpen mix as a set-up man for returning closer Felix Bautista. Most of the focus has been on the lineup this winter, however, as they’ve added Tyler O’Neill to replace Anthony Santander, Gary Sanchez to replace James McCann, and then further bolstered the club’s outfield depth with deals for Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson. That leaves the club set to enter 2025 with a position player mix that might be even deeper than last year’s, but a pitching staff that carries even more question marks.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox set out to improve their rotation this winter and accomplished just that. They swung a trade for White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet at the Winter Meetings, shipping out top prospects Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery in a four-player package that brought back a lefty ace with two years of control remaining before free agency. They followed that addition up by replacing outgoing veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta with a high-upside roll of the dice on Walker Buehler, who struggled in 2024 coming off a return from Tommy John surgery but was among the best pitchers in the sport before going under the knife.

Outside of those moves, however, the Red Sox have been surprisingly quiet. They were involved in the sweepstakes for top free agents like Juan Soto and Max Fried but ultimately did not sign any of those impact players, or even players in the next tier down like Nathan Eovaldi and Teoscar Hernandez.  The additions of Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson should help to improve the bullpen, but the team’s long-acknowledged need for a right-handed bat who can help balance their lineup has gone unaddressed. That could change as they appear to be involved in the markets for both Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado, but for now the offense has gone largely unaddressed.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays’ offseason moves have largely been overshadowed by the situation regarding Tropicana Field, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Milton and will not be usable for the 2025 season. That’s forced the Rays to temporarily relocate to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, but the new location hasn’t stopped the club from being fairly active this winter. The club was long expected to deal from their starting pitching surplus this winter, and did so when they shipped Jeffrey Springs to the A’s alongside Jacob Lopez in a return highlighted by flamethrowing right-hander Joe Boyle. The club also traded Jose Siri to the Mets shortly before the non-tender deadline, leaving them with plenty of question marks in the outfield, but did manage to address other key areas of the roster in free agency.

After entering the winter with catcher as their biggest question mark, the club added the winter’s top free agent at the position in Danny Jansen. More recently, the Rays addressed their lackluster mix of players at shortstop by bringing Ha-Seong Kim into the fold on a sh0rt-term deal. The club’s lack of solid outfield options, which will likely force infielders like Christopher Morel, Richie Palacios and Jose Caballero onto the grass in 2025, leave a major question mark on the club’s roster, but the additions of Jansen and Kim along with the impending return for ace Shane McClanahan from injury leave the club into a relatively good place headed into 2025.

Toronto Blue Jays

Long considered to be the bridesmaid but never the bride when it comes to landing top talent in free agency, the Jays once again came up short in their pursuit of top free agents like Soto, Burnes, and Roki Sasaki. That didn’t stop them from upgrading the roster this winter, however, as they’ve been one of the more active teams around the league. Jeff Hoffman, Josh Walker, Nick Sandlin and Yimi Garcia were both brought in to shore up the club’s lackluster bullpen mix after the club non-tendered closer Jordan Romano, while future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer will be tasked with replacing Yusei Kikuchi in the club’s rotation as he enter his age-40 campaign.

In addition to those pitching moves, the Jays made two major additions to their lineup: they traded Spencer Horwitz to land Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez alongside Sandlin during the Winter Meetings, providing them with a quality defensive option at the keystone and a viable long-term alternative to Bo Bichette at shortstop. That move was followed up by signing slugger Anthony Santander to a five-year deal, with Santander set to offer power in the lineup as well as some protection for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in his final season before free agency. Guerrero’s future has been a key topic of Toronto’s offseason to this point, and while the sides have discussed an extension there’s been no signs of a conclusion in sight even with Guerrero’s self-imposed deadline just a week away.

__________________________________________________________

The AL East stands out among the other divisions around the league in part because all five teams have at least a couple of notable additions to their roster in a winter where a surprising number of clubs mostly stood pat. With that being said, however, most of those additions either left a hole in the roster unaddressed or fell short of what outside observers felt was needed to push the team to contention in 2025. All five teams made worthwhile moves this winter, but will it be enough for the Yankees to overcome the losses of Soto and Torres, or the Orioles to overcome the loss of Burnes? Will the Red Sox be able to to get by without adding to the lineup, and will the Rays be able to compete with questions all over the outfield? Are the Blue Jays’ aggressive additions enough to put them back into the playoffs for Guerrero’s walk year? With all five teams trying to win in 2025 despite holes and question marks, the AL East figures to be perhaps the most interesting of the league’s divisions this year, top-to-bottom.

Of the five AL East clubs, which one has had the strongest offseason so far? Have your say in the poll below:

Which AL East team has had the best offseason so far?
New York Yankees 49.72% (6,132 votes)
Boston Red Sox 20.96% (2,585 votes)
Toronto Blue Jays 16.80% (2,072 votes)
Baltimore Orioles 8.79% (1,084 votes)
Tampa Bay Rays 3.74% (461 votes)
Total Votes: 12,334

Emmanuel Rivera Accepts Outright Assignment With Orioles

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The Orioles announced this morning that infielder Emmanuel Rivera cleared waivers, was assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk, and has accepted the assignment. As a player with more than three years of service, Rivera could’ve rejected the assignment to become a free agent. The O’s also confirmed their signing of righty Dylan Coleman, who’d announced the agreement himself on Instagram over the weekend. It’s a minor league pact with an invitation to spring training.

Rivera, 28, signed a one-year, $1MM contract to avoid arbitration earlier in the offseason. He landed with the Orioles on an August waiver claim out of the Marlins system and immediately caught fire. In 73 plate appearances down the stretch with the O’s, Rivera raked at a .313/.370/.578 clip and popped four home runs.

That massive output dwarfs a more modest track record in the big leagues. Rivera is a career .244/.306/.369 hitter in 1042 major league plate appearances. He’s a solid defender at the hot corner but has below-average plate discipline and (per Statcast) sprint speed that clocks into the 33rd percentile of big leaguers.

Now that he’s gone unclaimed, Rivera will head to camp as a non-roster invitee with Baltimore and try to work his way back into the 40-man roster mix. The O’s have an extremely crowded infield, with Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Urias and (once healthy) Jorge Mateo all in the mix. Top prospect Coby Mayo would probably get the first look if a regular role opened up following an unfortunate injury at the corners, but Rivera can nonetheless provide some depth at the hot corner and join a group of infield NRIs that also includes Terrin Vavra, Vimael Machin, Luis Vazquez and Livan Soto.

Orioles Previously Expressed Interest In Gavin Sheets

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The Orioles expressed interest in first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets at one point this winter, according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko in a recent mailbag column. Sheets remains a free agent, but it’s unclear whether or not the Orioles still maintain interest in his services at this point in the offseason.

Sheets, 29 in April, was a second-round pick by the White Sox back in 2017 and was non-tendered by Chicago back in November after parts of four seasons with the Sox. By far the worst season of Sheets’s career came in 2023, when he hit a paltry .203/.267/.301 with a wRC+ of 61 in 344 trips to the plate. Outside of that disastrous season, however, he’s generally looked like an average to slightly below average hitter at the big league level. Notably that production comes with a massive platoon split; for his career, Sheets sports a respectable 98 wRC+ against right-handed pitching but is 74% worse than league average against southpaws. That same principle applied to his 2024 season as well, when he posted a 94 wRC+ against opposite-handed pitching but lefties limited him to a wRC+ of just 59.

For a club in need of a left-handed platoon bat at first base, the addition of Sheets could make plenty of sense. With that being said, however, Baltimore’s interest in Sheets is at least somewhat surprising given the fact that Ryan O’Hearn fills a very similar niche and is currently locked into their roster on the back of his second consecutive strong season in a part-time role with the club. Like Sheets, O’Hearn is predominantly a first baseman but can also play the outfield in a pinch. While Sheets has gotten more time in the outfield than O’Hearn to this point in their careers, that extra time has only served to highlight Sheets’s questionable defense at the position, as he’s been worth -14 Outs Above Average in right field during his MLB career.

Since the start of the offseason, the Orioles have added Ramon Laureano, Dylan Carlson, and Tyler O’Neill to their already-crowded outfield mix while O’Hearn, Ryan Mountcastle, and Coby Mayo all remain in the mix for playing time at first base. That deep group of talent seems to leave little room for a player like Sheets to break into the mix, though it’s certainly possible the Orioles could still be interested in him as a depth piece on a non-roster deal in case of an injury or trade clearing out some of that 40-man depth. Looking beyond the Orioles, there are a handful of clubs that could use a player like Sheets as a potential platoon option at first base or in the outfield. The Reds, Angels, Rockies, and Marlins are among the clubs who struggled most against right-handed pitching last year who could have room for Sheets on their bench.

Orioles Sign Dylan Coleman

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The Orioles appear to have reached an agreement with Dylan Coleman, as revealed by the right-hander himself on his Instagram account.  The 28-year-old Coleman has been looking for a new team since being released by the Astros last August, and presumably his new deal with Baltimore is a minor league pact.

Coleman threw one inning of scoreless ball in the Astros’ 8-0 win over the Blue Jays last April 3, which marked his only big league appearance of the 2024 campaign.  Houston optioned Coleman back to Triple-A the next day, and he struggled to a 6.50 ERA and a garish 23.9% walk rate over 36 innings with Sugar Land before being designated for assignment and released over the summer.

These extreme control problems have increasingly plagued Coleman’s career over the last few seasons.  His walk rates were middling during his time in the Padres’ farm system, and in his only extended stretch of MLB action.  Coleman posted a very solid 2.78 ERA over 68 relief innings for the Royals in 2022, and while a .247 BABIP and 12.8% walk rate stood out as warning signs, it seemed like Coleman was carving a niche for himself in the Kansas City bullpen.

It all went south in 2023, however, as Coleman had an 8.84 ERA in 18 1/3 frames for the Royals, plus a 4.70 ERA over 30 2/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha.  Coleman’s walk rates ballooned to an untenable 19.8% in the majors and 21.8% in the minors, and the Royals parted ways entirely by trading him to the Astros in December 2023.

Coleman’s fastball topped the 98mph mark when he made his Major League debut in 2021, though his velocity dropped to a 95.7mph average in Triple-A ball last year.  That still counts as a pretty live fastball, and Coleman recorded some big strikeout numbers in the minors along with a 24.2% strikeout rate over his 93 2/3 career innings in the Show.  The Orioles must feel there’s enough there to take a flier on Coleman in spring camp, as his 2022 numbers hint at his potential if he can limit his walks.

Padres Inquired About Westburg, Mayo, Basallo In Cease Trade Talks With Orioles

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Reports back in December suggested that the Orioles had trade interest in Dylan Cease, and MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko wrote today that the O’s and Padres indeed had some level of discussion about the right-hander’s availability.  However, it isn’t clear if talks have gone anywhere, as Kubatko reports that San Diego “checked on” some notable Baltimore players who “weren’t on the table,” including All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg and top prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo.  The nature of the trade discussion aren’t known, but presumably one of these three would’ve been the headliner of a trade package, with Cease (and perhaps other players) heading to Baltimore in return.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is said to be looking for “significant major-league value” in exchange for Cease, and it is only natural that Preller would aim high when discussing perhaps his top trade chip.  Landing Westburg would have filled San Diego’s second base position for years to come, Mayo could’ve become the Padres’ first baseman of the future and very likely a contributor in 2025, and Basallo projects as a keeper at either first base or catcher.  San Diego already has one of the sport’s top catching prospects in Ethan Salas, but further adding to the future depth chart would’ve given the Padres an embarrassment of riches at a notoriously difficult position to fill.

For many of these same reasons, the Orioles obviously have no interest in dealing any of this trio.  As Kubatko notes, it is particularly unlikely that Baltimore (or perhaps any other team) would trade away premium controllable talent for Cease, who is slated to enter free agency next winter.

It should be noted that the Orioles did swing a big trade for a rental pitcher just over a year ago, when the O’s moved Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, and the 34th overall pick in the 2024 draft (Baltimore’s Competitive Balance Round selection) to the Brewers in exchange for Corbin Burnes.  That trade package has been suggested by many as a possible comp for what the Padres might realistically hope to land in a Cease deal, though the fact that the Orioles already depleted their minor league depth for Burnes might make them unlikely to make another splurge for a pitcher with one year of control.

The Twins, Mets, Cubs, and Red Sox are among the teams who have also been linked to Cease’s trade market at various points this winter, though reports have suggested that Minnesota and New York are unable or unwilling to meet the Padres’ demands.  The Red Sox already dealt away some noteworthy young talent to obtain Garrett Crochet from the White Sox, and might not want to move even more players to also add Cease.

With several weeks to go before Opening Day, it is certainly still possible any of these teams or the Orioles could re-emerge as possible trade partners, should the Padres lower their asking price.  On the flip side, pitching injuries in Spring Training might well bring some new teams into the mix, perhaps with some increased desperation that would make them more willing to cough up a bigger trade package that would come closer to meeting San Diego’s needs.

Since Burnes was entering free agency and ultimately headed to the Diamondbacks, an ace pitcher was widely seen as perhaps the top need on Baltimore’s offseason checklist.  While the O’s were known to have at least had some talks about some top free agents or trade targets, the club instead made more moderate pitching adds, signing Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to one-year contracts.  Sugano and Morton join Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer as the Orioles’ projected starting five, with Albert Suarez working as a swingman in the bullpen, and the likes of Cade Povich, Trevor Rogers, and Chayce McDermott at Triple-A as further depth options.

With Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells also hoping to make late-season returns from UCL surgeries last season, the Orioles might end up having a surplus of rotation options if everyone is healthy.  In theory, it would make sense if the O’s offered one of the younger big league-ready arms as part of a Cease trade, as the Padres could then use that pitcher to take Cease’s spot in their own rotation.  But, with Eflin, Morton, and Sugano all free agents next winter, Baltimore surely hopes to dip into its depth to reload what might be a very different-looking rotation in 2026.

Orioles Claim Roansy Contreras, Designate Daz Cameron

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The Orioles have claimed right-hander Roansy Contreras from the Yankees, according to announcements from both clubs. There was no previous indication that the Yanks had removed Contreras from their roster, so their 40-man count drops to 39. The Orioles designated outfielder Daz Cameron for assignment as the corresponding move. The O’s also announced that infielder Luis Vázquez, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The Yankees also announced that right-hander Allan Winans, who was himself designated for assignment this week, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Both Vázquez and Winans receive non-roster invites to big league camp with their respective clubs.

The players mentioned in today’s announcements have been involved in many transactions this winter, none more so than the 25-year-old Contreras. He finished the 2024 season with the Angels but has since gone to the Rangers, Reds, Orioles, Yankees and now the O’s again via waiver claims.

That is a reflection of both his intriguing numbers and also the fact that he’s out of options, making it hard for him to cling to a roster spot. Back in 2022, he seemed to be cementing himself as a big league starter, logging 95 innings with the Pirates with a 3.79 earned run average, 21.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.

Things went downhill in 2023, as his ERA spiked to 6.59 and he got moved into more of a relief role. Last year, he got his ERA down to 4.35. His 18.8% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate were both subpar numbers, but it was a course correction nonetheless. The O’s are clearly intrigued, since this is the second time they’ve claimed him this winter.

Since this didn’t come in connection with another move for the Yankees, it’s possible they were trying to pass him through waivers since the 60-day injured list opens up next week when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. That will open up many roster spots around the league, making it harder for guys to go unclaimed. The gambit didn’t pay off in this case, but it’s possible the O’s will try the same thing in the coming days.

Cameron, 28, was acquired by the O’s from the A’s in a cash deal at the end of October. Like Contreras, he is also out of options. Since that time, the O’s have added Tyler O’Neill, Ramón Laureano and Dylan Carlson into their outfield mix. Those moves have likely bumped Cameron down the depth chart and into DFA limbo.

The O’s will now have a week to trade Cameron or pass him through waivers. He has a previous career outright, so he would have the right to elect free agency if he clears. He has a .201/.263/.330 batting line in 430 MLB plate appearances but has stolen 14 bases without being caught. He has less than two years of service time and can therefore be controlled for the next five seasons if anyone acquires him.

Vázquez, 25, was designated for assignment by the Cubs last month and flipped to the O’s for cash. Baltimore quickly bumped him off the roster and has now passed him through waivers. Since this is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, he’ll give the club some extra depth in a non-roster capacity. He has only 14 MLB plate appearances but solid numbers in the minors. He slashed .268/.356/.448 for a 109 wRC+ over the past two years while playing plenty of shortstop, second base and third base.

The Yankees just claimed Winans, 29, off waivers from Atlanta last month. By passing him through waivers unclaimed now, they get to keep him as non-roster depth. He doesn’t have a previous career outright nor three years of big league service time, meaning he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency. He has a 7.20 ERA in 40 big league innings thus far in his career.

Orioles, Terrin Vavra Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles are bringing infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra back to the organization on a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned. The NPG Sports client be invited to major league spring training.

Vavra, 27, was a third-round pick out of the University of Minnesota by the Rockies back in 2018 but has spent the bulk of his career in the Orioles organization. The Rox traded the former Golden Gopher to Baltimore alongside Tyler Nevin in 2020’s Mychal Givens trade.

Vavra has played in parts of two big league seasons with the O’s, logging a combined 159 plate appearances with a .254/.331/.304 batting line (87 wRC+) in that time. Vavra was briefly in the Mariners organization last summer after the O’s designated him for assignment and lost him to Seattle on waivers. It was a short stay, as he was cut loose by the M’s after just three games in Tacoma and wound up re-signing to finish out the minor league season back with the Orioles organization. He’ll now land back with the O’s for another stint on another minor league deal.

While he was drafted as a shortstop, Vavra has spent more time at second base in his professional career. He’s logged nearly 500 innings in the outfield in recent seasons as well, spending time at all three positions. Vavra has played in parts of three Triple-A seasons and carries a career .283/.382/.413 batting line at the top minor league level. He doesn’t have one standout tool but has walked in a strong 11.7% of his Triple-A plate appearances against a slightly lower-than-average 21.6% strikeout rate. Statcast credited Vavra with above-average sprint speed as recently as 2023, placing him in the 64th percentile of big leaguers.

Baltimore obviously has a crowded infield that’s headlined with former top prospects. Gunnar Henderson is locked in at shortstop and has developed into an MVP-caliber talent. Jordan Westburg will be back at third base after a breakout 2024 showing. Jackson Holliday has yet to solidify himself in the majors, but the former No. 1 pick and No. 1 overall prospect only turned 21 in December. He’ll get the opportunity to claim the second base job. Ryan Mountcastle is a relative veteran at first base now, and top prospect Coby Mayo would likely get a look in the event of a notable injury at either infield corner. The outfield is arguably even more crowded after offseason signings of Tyler O’Neill, Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson added to incumbents Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser.

Suffice it to say, there’s no real path to an everyday role for Vavra, but his ability to back up at multiple spots and his OBP-driven skill set at the plate could put him into the bench mix. If nothing else, he’s a nice versatile hand to have waiting in the wings down in Triple-A Norfolk.

Orioles Designate Luis Vazquez For Assignment

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The Orioles announced Tuesday that they’ve designated infielder Luis Vazquez for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to newly signed outfielder Ramon Laureano, whose previously reported one-year deal is now official.

Vazquez’s stay on Baltimore’s 40-man roster will last less than a week. Baltimore picked him up from the Cubs, who’d also designated him for assignment, in a cash swap just last week. Emmanuel Rivera, who was designated to clear roster space for Vazquez, hasn’t even seen his own DFA resolved before Vazquez’s spot has been similarly vacated.

A 25-year-old shortstop who made his big league debut with the Cubs this past season, Vazquez has only 14 big league plate appearances and one hit under his belt. However, he slashed .263/.347/.432 in Triple-A last season, marking his second straight year with better-than-average production at the top minor league level. While he’d struggled in a smaller sample over parts of two prior Triple-A campaigns, Vazquez has popped 17 homers, walked at an 11.6% clip and fanned in a roughly average 22.5% of his plate appearances through 543 appearances there in the past two seasons.

Vazquez has long been regarded as a smooth defender at shortstop, one who’s capable of playing second base or third base as well. The recent bump in production in Triple-A has elevated his stock a bit, but not to the extent that either the Cubs or the Orioles are committed to carrying him on the 40-man roster to begin the season. Baseball America labeled him Chicago’s No. 16 prospect just last year. He profiles as a solid defensive utilityman at the very least, and his recent strides at the plate in Triple-A — coupled with a pair of remaining minor league option years — could garner a look from another club via a small trade or a waiver claim.

The Orioles will have five days to trade Vazquez. At that point, they’d need to place him on outright waivers, as waivers are a 48-hour process and there’s a one-week limit within which they have to resolve his DFA. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, Vazquez will head to Triple-A as non-roster depth and presumably be invited to big league camp when spring training opens later this month.

Orioles Sign Ramón Laureano

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The Orioles announced that they have signed outfielder Ramón Laureano to a one-year deal. It reportedly comes with a $4MM guarantee for the the VaynerSports client and there’s also a $6.5MM club option for 2026. Infielder Luis Vázquez has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Laureano, now 30, once looked like a star in the making in Oakland. But since returning from a PED suspension, he’s settled in as more of a solid role player. He had a career batting line of .263/.335/.465 and a 119 wRC+ in August of 2021, when it was announced that he tested positive for Nandrolone and had been given an 80-game suspension.

Since returning from that absence, he has slashed .230/.300/.392 for a wRC+ of 96. That includes 98 games in the 2024 season, split between Cleveland and Atlanta. He started with the Guardians but hit just .143/.265/.229 through 31 games. By the end of May, he had been designated for assignment, released and then landed a minor league deal with Atlanta.

He turned his fortunes around with that latter club, who had seen Ronald Acuña Jr. go down with a season-ending ACL tear. They brought Laureano in for some extra depth then added him to the roster when Michael Harris II hit the injured list. Laureano got into 67 games and put up a strong line of .296/.327/.505, production that translated to a 129 wRC+.

Although that was an impressive turnaround, there was also reason to suspect it wasn’t sustainable. He had a .380 batting average on balls in play during his time with Atlanta, well above last year’s .291 league average. Presumably, Atlanta was leery of that batted ball luck. They could have retained Laureano for the 2025 season via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $6.1MM salary. Instead, the club decided to non-tender him, sending him to the open market.

Even if Laureano’s offense regresses a bit closer to league average, he can still be a solid player. His sprint speed was in the 63rd percentile last year, according to Statcast, and he’s been able to swipe about ten bags per full season in his career. Reviews on his outfield defense are mixed. He has 21 Defensive Runs Saved in his career, including three last year, whereas Outs Above Average gave him -6 last year and has him at -14 for his career overall.

The O’s will also likely try to optimize his performance by limiting him to a platoon role. For his career, the righty-swinging Laureano has hit .274/.343/.460 against lefties and .236/.309/.418 against righties, leading to respective wRC+ numbers of 123 and 102. His split was even more extreme in 2024, as he had a .305/.343/.526 line and 139 wRC+ against southpaws, but a .236/.295/.393 line and 92 wRC+ otherwise.

The outfield mix in Baltimore leans left-handed, as does the lineup in general. Tyler O’Neill swings from the right side but Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are lefty-swinging outfielders. Infielders Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn and Jackson Holliday also swing from the left side.

Laureano will likely slot into a part-time role for the O’s. He can occasionally spell those lefties to shield them from tough southpaws or just give them a day off. He can serve as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He also gives them a bit of insurance for the oft-injured O’Neill, who has never played more than 138 games in a season and only topped 113 once.

Acquiring Laureano crowds the club’s bench mix. They have Gary Sánchez set to be the backup catcher and Ramón Urías backing up the infield. Jorge Mateo should have a spot if he’s recovered from last year’s elbow surgery by Opening Day. Laureano, Daz Cameron and Dylan Carlson are candidates for bench outfielder roles, though Carlson has options and could wind up playing regularly in Triple-A. Kjerstad could be down in Norfolk with him, if the regular outfield will feature O’Neill, Mullins and Cowser, with O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle in the first base/DH spots.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the O’s and Laureano had agreed to a one-year, $4MM deal. Jake Rill of MLB.com first reported the presence of a 2026 club option, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post reporting the $6.5MM value.

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