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Joey Krehbiel

Rays Sign Joey Krehbiel To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have signed Joey Krehbiel to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The right-hander is represented by Loren Pincus.

Krehbiel, 32, didn’t crack the majors in 2024. He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners about this time last year. He went on to throw 58 innings over 54 appearances for their Triple-A club, allowing 3.26 earned runs per nine. His 22.8% strikeout rate, 10.4% walk rate and 44.9% ground ball rate were all within a point or two of typical averages.

He does have 74 innings of major league experience, most of that coming as an Oriole in 2022, though he also spent time with the Diamondbacks and Rays prior to joining Baltimore. He has a 3.65 ERA in his big league career with an 18.4% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate.

His previous stint with the Rays was in 2021, signing a minor league deal going into that year as well. His minor league work that year was arguably his most impressive performance in recent years. He tossed 43 Triple-A innings with a 4.19 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate and 5.1% walk rate. That got him a brief stint on the major league roster in September, before he went the Orioles on waivers. Baltimore kept him around for a while, though he lost his roster spot during the 2023 season, which led to his minor league deal with the Mariners.

The Rays are obviously familiar with Krehbiel and got some decent results out of him a few years ago, so the two sides have reunited. If he can earn his way onto the roster, he still has an option, which is surely attractive for a team like the Rays as they frequently churn pitchers through the roster. Krehbiel also has less than two years of service time, so he could be cheaply retained beyond this year if he’s holding a roster spot at season’s end.

Mariners Sign Joey Krehbiel To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have signed right-hander Joey Krehbiel to a minor league deal, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The righty also receives an invite to major league Spring Training.

Krehbiel, 31, has seen sporadic major league action with the Diamondbacks, Rays and Orioles. He has 74 innings of experience in the big leagues, with most of that coming with the O’s in 2022. For his career overall, he has a 3.65 earned run average but the baseball gods may have helped him push that number down somewhat. His 42.8% ground ball rate and 8.7% walk rate are close to league average but his 18.4% strikeout rate is a couple of ticks south of par. His .237 batting average on balls in play and 76.7% strand rate are both on the fortunate side, which is why his 4.74 FIP and 4.20 SIERA are a bit less impressive than his ERA.

Last year, he only tossed five innings in the majors but 39 1/3 frames at Triple-A. He had a 3.89 ERA at the top minor league level but again in a misleading fashion. His 18.2% strikeout rate and 14.2% walk rate were both a bit worse than average while his BABIP and strand rate were again lucky, leading to a 6.24 FIP at Triple-A for the year. He has pitched at that level in five different seasons now, combining for a 5.21 ERA in 205 2/3 innings dating back to 2018.

The O’s outrighted him off their roster in November and Krehbiel was able to elect free agency. He’ll now try to get a fresh start with the Mariners. If he is able to get onto their roster at any point, he still has one option year remaining, with that flexibility surely adding to the appeal for the club. He’s also still at least a couple of years away from arbitration, meaning he’ll likely have a salary around the league minimum for any time spent in the bigs.

The M’s appear to be operating without a lot of financial flexibility this winter due to concerns around their broadcast revenue. They have largely been able to build their bullpen without spending a lot of money in recent years. Since the start of 2018, the most money they’ve given a reliever was when they signed Ken Giles to a two-year, $7MM deal as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Apart from that, they’ve haven’t given any reliever more than $2MM in that time frame, as shown in the MLBTR Contract Tracker.

This winter, the M’s have added Mauricio Llovera via waiver claim and have traded for Anthony DeSclafani, Jackson Kowar, Carlos Vargas and Cody Bolton. They’ve given minor league deals to Tyson Miller, Brett de Geus, Kirby Snead, Jhonathan Díaz, Cory Abbott and now Krehbiel.

Joey Krehbiel Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Joey Krehbiel, who was designated for assignment by the Orioles last week, has declined an outright assignment and opted to become a free agent, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The 30-year-old had been previously outrighted in his career, which grants him the result to reject a subsequent outright assignment.

Krehbiel pitched 57 innings of relief with the 2022 Orioles but logged just five MLB frames in 2023, spending the rest of the time down in Triple-A Norfolk. Krehbiel has performed reasonably well in the bigs with Baltimore, pitching to a 3.73 ERA with a 19% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and 41.1% grounder rate in his 63 2/3 frames over the past two seasons. That said, he also walked more than 14% of his opponents in 39 1/3 Triple-A innings, to say nothing of an unsightly 1.6 HR/9 mark with Baltimore’s top affiliate in Norfolk.

Last year’s 57 MLB innings were a career-high for Krehbiel, who’s appeared in parts of four campaigns between the D-backs, Rays and O’s. He’s turned in a 3.65 ERA with sub-par strikeout and walk rates in that time, averaging 94.7 mph on his heater and generating grounders at a roughly average rate.

Krehbiel will head to the open market in search of a new opportunity, likely on a minor league deal. He has a minor league option remaining, which will add to his appeal for clubs who have interest in bringing him aboard as a depth option for their relief corps. And, since he still has fewer than two years of MLB service time, Krehbiel is controllable for another five seasons. Of course, he’d need to pitch his way onto a big league roster and carve out a permanent role for that to be a factor of any real note.

Orioles Claim Sam Hilliard From Braves

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The Orioles announced today that the club has claimed outfielder Sam Hilliard off waivers from the Braves. In a corresponding move, right-hander Joey Krehbiel has been designated for assignment. Meanwhile, the Braves announced that they’ve assigned infielder Andrew Velazquez and right-hander Ben Heller outright to the minors. Both Velazquez and Heller figure to reach minor league free agency later this month, though Heller has the requisite service time to elect free agency early, should he so choose.

The Braves picked up Hilliard last offseason in a trade with the Rockies, sending right-hander Dylan Spain to Colorado in exchange for the outfielder. Hilliard played for the Rockies in parts of four seasons, from 2019-22. The lefty-batter showed off plus power, but otherwise, his offensive skills were lacking. He played capable defense in all three outfield spots, although his glove was most valuable in left.

In 40 games for Atlanta this past season, his bat was the best it’s been since his rookie campaign, although his numbers were slightly inflated by an unsustainable .389 batting average on balls in play. Still, Hilliard was a serviceable fifth outfielder through the first half of the year, posting a .725 OPS with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Unfortunately, he landed on the IL with a right heel contusion in mid-July, an injury that ultimately ended his season. In 2024, he will look to pick up where he left off with his new team.

The Orioles have no shortage of outfield options on the 40-man roster, including veterans Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins, and Austin Hays, as well as rookies Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. However, neither Cowser nor Kjerstad has proven himself at the major league level just yet, and it’s possible that one or both could open the 2024 campaign in Triple-A, instead of sitting on the big league bench. Alternatively, the Orioles could be planning to trade from a position of strength, perhaps to acquire more pitching this winter. That would make room for a backup outfielder like Hilliard on the roster, although he will still have to compete with Ryan McKenna, Terrin Vavra, and Kyle Stowers for playing time.

Krehbiel, 30, finally surpassed rookie limitations in 2022 after 11 years of professional baseball. The righty was successful as a low-leverage reliever for the Orioles, pitching 57 2/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA. However, he struggled in higher-leverage spots and posted large platoon splits, struggling to retire left-handed batters. He spent most of the 2023 campaign at Triple-A, unable to earn a spot in Baltimore’s talented bullpen. Should Krehbiel clear waivers, he will be eligible to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

The Braves claimed Velazquez off waivers from the Angels in September to serve as middle infield depth, although he never saw time with the big league club. The 29-year-old shortstop will be out of options in 2024, so it’s not too surprising that Atlanta decided to clear him from the 40-man roster. In 54 games for the Angels this year, he hit .173 with a 52 wRC+ and -0.1 FanGraphs WAR.

Heller came over to the Braves in a midseason trade with the Rays, and Atlanta gave him his first chance to pitch in a big league game since 2020. The righty was a capable low-leverage reliever over the final months of the season, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 19 appearances. However, he, too, will be out of minor league options next year. Both Heller and Velazquez had been non-tender candidates ahead of their first years of arbitration eligibility.

Orioles Activate John Means

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The Orioles announced Tuesday that they’ve activated left-hander John Means from the 60-day injured list and optioned right-hander Joey Krehbiel to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so optioning Krehbiel is the only move needed to reinstate Means. The 30-year-old Means is slated to start tonight’s game for the O’s — his first appearance on a big league mound since April 13, 2022. He’s spent the past 17 months rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

A great deal has changed for the O’s since Means last took the mound. He was caught by Anthony Bemboom during his most recent start, as then-prospect Adley Rutschman had yet to make his big league debut. Rougned Odor, Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo rounded out the infield after first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, as the Orioles awaited the rise of prospects like Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. When Means’ last game with the O’s concluded, Baltimore sat at 1-5 on the young 2022 campaign and was hoping to avoid a seventh straight losing season.

Fast forward to present day, and the Orioles have become the class of the American League, boasting the junior circuit’s best record and leading the Rays by three games in the American League East. Rutschman and Henderson have not only debuted but broken out as star-caliber, cornerstone players. Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez has shaken off a rough start to his big league career, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 10 starts since being return to the big leagues in mid-July.

Means will step into the rotation alongside Rodriguez and fellow breakout righty Kyle Bradish, who’s pitched to a 3.03 ERA (3.40 FIP, 3.83 SIERA) in 145 2/3 innings. Right-hander Dean Kremer and veteran Kyle Gibson have both made 29 starts apiece as well, though Gibson has struggled of late.

A healthy Means would be a major boost to the Orioles’ rotation, particularly with Bradish, Rodriguez, Kremer and Tyler Wells — who’s been optioned to Triple-A and moved to the bullpen — all establishing new career-high workloads this season. The O’s will probably be somewhat cautious with Means as he continues to distance himself from that surgery, but he’s already built up to 86 pitches in a minor league rehab assignment that saw him post a 3.74 ERA over 21 2/3 innings.

Prior to his injury, Means was a 2019 All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year runner-up. The lefty posted a 3.60 ERA in 155 frames during that rookie campaign, and from 2019-22 he tallied 353 1/3 innings of 3.72 ERA ball. He struck out a slightly below-average 21.2% of his opponents but also posted a terrific 5.1% walk rate and excelled at limiting hard contact (87.8 mph average exit velocity, 34.5% hard-hit rate). Anything resembling that form would immediately make him one of the Orioles’ three best starters, though expectations should probably be tempered in the early stages of any pitcher’s return from a major surgery.

While mending from that April 2022 procedure, Means has continued to accrue Major League service time. He’s playing out the second season of a two-year, $5.95MM deal that covered the entirety of his rehab. He’ll be eligible for one final raise via arbitration this winter before reaching free agency in the 2024-25 offseason.

Orioles Designate Eduard Bazardo For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated right-hander Eduard Bazardo for assignment, per a club announcement. In corresponding moves, the club has selected the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel and optioned right-hander Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie.

Bazardo, 27, made his big league debut back in 2021 with the Red Sox, pitching for them in parts of two seasons. Bazardo then elected free agency after being designated for assignment in October 2022. That December, he landed with Baltimore on a minor league deal before being selected to the roster earlier this month. In all, Bazardo sports a career 3.74 ERA and 5.26 FIP in 21 2/3 innings in the majors. He’s posted similar numbers at the Triple-A level in his career, with a 3.86 ERA with a 24.5% strikeout rate in 107 innings of work at the level, which includes a strong 3.05 ERA in 38 1/3 innings with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk this season.

The Orioles have a week to trade, waive, or release Bazardo, though of course any trade would have to come prior to the trade deadline on August 1. In the event that Bazardo clears waivers successfully, the Orioles will have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues, though Bazardo has the right to reject that assignment as a player who’s been outrighted previously in his career.

Bazardo’s exit makes room for Krehbiel on the 40-man roster. A 12th-round pick by the Angels in the 2011 draft, Krehbiel broke into the majors with the Diamondbacks and the Rays before settling in with the Orioles midway through the 2021 campaign. He became a major piece of Baltimore’s bullpen in 2022, with a 3.90 ERA that clocked in at exactly league average by measure of ERA+.

While his work last season was certainly solid, Krehbiel was ultimately designated for assignment early in the 2023 season, before making an appearance at the major league level this season. He performed well at the Triple-A level this year after accepting an outright assignment, with a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings of work. That performance has earned Krehbiel another chance in the majors, where he figures to cover the middle innings for the Orioles alongside the likes of Bryan Baker and Shintaro Fujinami.

Perhaps the most surprising news of the day is the club’s decision to option Wells to make room for Krehbiel on the active roster. Wells has pitched fairly well as a member of the club’s rotation this season, with a 3.80 ERA in 113 2/3 innings of work. That quality run prevention figure belies his recent control problems, however. In the month of July, Wells has walked 13 batters in 21 innings, nearly as many as he’s struck out (16). That’s contributed to a 6.43 ERA and a 7.76 FIP this month, the latter of which has ballooned his FIP to a worrisome 5.17 figure on the season.

It’s unclear how long Wells figures to remain in the minor leagues, but his struggles and subsequent demotion highlight the club’s need for starting pitching ahead of the trade deadline on August 1. Only eight teams in the majors have gotten less fWAR out of their starters than Baltimore, and of those only the Yankees, Reds, and Red Sox have any hope of making the playoffs this season.

Orioles Outright Joey Krehbiel

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The Orioles announced this evening that reliever Joey Krehbiel has gone unclaimed on waivers. The right-hander accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and will stick with the organization.

Krehbiel has spent the entire 2023 campaign in Norfolk on an optional assignment. He’s come out of the bullpen nine times for the Tides, throwing nine innings of two-run ball. While that’s impressive on the surface, the 6’3″ hurler has walked seven batters and hit another. That’s eight free passes out of 37 hitters (21.6%) compared to just six strikeouts. Baltimore took Krehbiel off the 40-man roster last week as the corresponding move for acquiring catcher Luis Torrens from the Cubs.

While Krehbiel hasn’t pitched in the bigs this season, he logged a good chunk of relief work for Baltimore last year. Manager Brandon Hyde tabbed him 56 times, in which Khrebiel threw 57 2/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA. His 18.4% strikeout rate was a few points below average but he kept the free passes to a solid 7.4% clip and was a generally serviceable middle reliever.

Krehbiel also went unclaimed on waivers while a member of the Diamondbacks back in 2019. His second outright gave him the right to explore minor league free agency but he’s elected to bypass the open market. He’ll try to rediscover last year’s command and reestablish himself on the 40-man roster. If the Orioles don’t reselect his contract by the end of the season, he’d hit free agency at the start of the winter.

Cubs Trade Luis Torrens To Orioles

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The Orioles have acquired catcher Luis Torrens from the Cubs in exchange for cash, per a team announcement. Right-hander Joey Krehbiel was designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Torrens, 26, signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason. He appeared in 13 games for them this season but tallied only 22 plate appearances, going 5-for-20 with a double, a walk and eight strikeouts in that time (.250/.318/.300).

Prior to that brief run in Chicago, Torrens spent two years with the Mariners after coming over alongside Ty France and Andres Munoz in the trade sending Austin Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla to the Padres. In 799 Major League plate appearances, he’s a .227/.289/.352 hitter with 19 long balls, a 26% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. While he wasn’t especially productive in his time with Seattle, he did make a fair bit of hard contact, averaging 91 mph off the bat and putting 45.7% of his batted balls in play at an exit velocity of at least 95 mph.

Defensively, Torrens has drawn below-average grades from Defensive Runs Saved and most pitch-framing metrics. He has a career 21.7% caught-stealing rate that’s below the league average, and he came up empty in his only attempt to throw a runner out with the Cubs. He did throw out nine of 28 attempted thieves (32.1%) as recently as last season.

Torrens is out of minor league options, so the Orioles will carry him on the big league roster. That’ll give them three catching options, as he’ll join 2022 Rookie of the Year runner-up Adley Rutschman and veteran James McCann on Baltimore’s roster.

Krehbiel, 30, hasn’t pitched in the Majors this season but logged 57 2/3 innings out of Baltimore’s bullpen in 2022, notching a solid 3.90 ERA with a below-average 18.4% strikeout rate but a sharp 7.4% walk rate. Overall, her has a 3.78 ERA in 69 Major League frames between the D-backs, Rays and O’s.

The 2023 season has been rough for Krehbiel, however. While he’s sporting a 2.00 ERA in nine Triple-A frames, he’s also walked more batters (seven) than he’s struck out (six) and has plunked another hitter. That’s nearly 22% of Krehbiel’s opponents that have either drawn a free pass or reached via hit-by-pitch. Even beyond those command woes, Krehbiel’s broader numbers in Triple-A (5.34 ERA in 175 1/3 innings) are actually worse than his big league output.

The Orioles will have a week to trade Krehbiel or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He’s been outrighted once before, so even if he goes unclaimed, he’d have the right to elect free agency if he chooses.

Orioles Activate Joey Krehbiel, Option Logan Gillaspie

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The Orioles have activated Joey Krehbiel from the 15-day injured list and placed him on the active roster. Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was optioned to Triple-A to make room, per the team.

Gillaspie, 25, has made 11 appearances spanning 10 1/3 innings with a  4.35 ERA/3.23 FIP. This year is his first with big-league experience. He has also made nine appearances in Triple-A with a 3.14 ERA over 14 1/3 innings.

Krehbiel, 29, has been an active participant out of the bullpen for the Orioles this season, appearing in 22 games. He’s pitched to a 2.74 ERA, but just 4.48 FIP across 23 innings with a 16-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Orioles claimed Krehbiel off waivers from the Rays last September.

Orioles Designate Cesar Valdez For Assignment

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The Orioles announced Wednesday that right-hander Cesar Valdez has been designated for assignment for a second time this season. Baltimore also recalled second baseman Jahmai Jones and righty Konner Wade from Triple-A Norfolk, optioned right-hander Joey Krehbiel to Norfolk and placed infielder Ramon Urias on the 10-day injured list due to a right adductor strain.

Valdez, 36, only had his contract selected back to the big league roster yesterday. It’ll be a daylong stint on the MLB roster for the righty, who pitched two-thirds of an inning in last night’s game and surrendered two runs (one earned) on a hit and a walk. Valdez has now been scored upon in six of his past seven Major League appearances and 12 of his past 19 dating back to June 1.

Up to that point, Valdez had emerged as an unlikely closer in Baltimore. The journeyman right-hander notched eight saves for the O’s through the season’s first five weeks and carried a 1.23 ERA into mid-May before a swift collapse cost him the closer’s gig and eventually his spot on the roster. Dating back to May 11, Valdez has been tagged for 28 earned runs on 51 hits and 11 walks with 28 strikeouts through 31 1/3 innings. The O’s will either place him on outright waivers or release waivers within the next couple of days.

Given the timing of the Urias IL placement, it seems quite possible that this injury will end his season. He’s somewhat quietly had a nice run as a utility option with the O’s since making his MLB debut last summer, as the 27-year-old has batted .286/.365/.425 with eight home runs and 16 doubles in his first 323 big league plate appearances. A .376 average on balls in play has surely helped his cause, but Urias also owns an impressive 25 percent line-drive rate and a 42.9 percent hard-hit rate.

Urias has split his time between second base, shortstop and third base, although he doesn’t have particularly strong grades. Still, his solid showing at the plate to date suggests he could be a bat-first utility option for the O’s moving forward.

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