Orioles Claim Bryan Baker From Blue Jays
The Orioles announced they’ve claimed reliever Bryan Baker off waivers from the Blue Jays. The 26-year-old made his big league debut in September, tossing a scoreless inning during a win over the A’s.
Baker’s big league outing was the briefest cup of coffee, but he showed a live arm, averaging just shy of 95 MPH on his fastball. Even more appealing is his Triple-A track record, as he earned that late-season look with a stellar year for the Jays’ top affiliate. The righty tossed 41 1/3 innings across 39 appearances with the Bisons, pitching to a 1.31 ERA while striking out a strong 28.9% of batters faced.
The knock on Baker throughout his time in the minors has been spotty control. His 10.2% walk percentage in Triple-A this past season wasn’t much higher than the major league average for relievers, but Baker’s walk totals from 2018-19 were significantly more alarming. The O’s will take a no-cost flier to see if he can sustain this year’s control improvements and settle in as a useful option in a wide open bullpen.
Baker still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so the front office can freely move him between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk for the next couple seasons so long as he sticks on the 40-man roster. The claim brings the Orioles’ 40-man tally up to 32, while the Jays’ roster now sits at 33.
Robert Murray of FanSided reported the move shortly before the team announcement.
Blue Jays Promote Nate Pearson, Bryan Baker
The Blue Jays announced they have recalled righty Nate Pearson and selected the contract of right-hander Bryan Baker. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported the moves last night. No corresponding transactions were necessary, as active rosters are expanding from 26 to 28 players today. Toronto created the vacancy on the 40-man roster required to promote Baker yesterday when they designated Brad Hand for assignment.
Pearson is one of the sport’s top prospects, with evaluators long suggesting his power arsenal could make him a top-of-the-rotation starter. The 25-year-old has gotten a few looks at the big league level over the past couple seasons but hasn’t yet had a real opportunity to fulfill his immense promise because of health issues. Pearson has had a couple stints on the injured list this year, limiting him to just one big league outing and twelve appearances (six starts) with Triple-A Buffalo.
Since returning from the minor league IL in the middle of August, Pearson has worked exclusively in relief, never facing more than five hitters in an outing. That’ll surely be the role he plays for Toronto down the stretch, with the hope that he can aid a bullpen that has struggled collectively for much of the season. Difficulty locking down late leads is perhaps the biggest reason the Jays enter the final month-plus of the season needing to erase a four and a half game deficit in the American League Wild Card standings. Presumably, the Jays will again look to lengthen Pearson back out as a starter next spring.
Baker will also step into the bullpen, as he’s exclusively a reliever. It’s the first major league call for the 26-year-old, who joined the pro ranks as a Rockies’ draftee in 2016 out of the University of North Florida. The Jays acquired Baker in August 2018 to complete the deal that sent reliever Seung-hwan Oh to Colorado.
Assigned to Buffalo to begin the year, Baker has spent the entire season to date with the Jays’ top affiliate. Over 34 innings, he’s posted a 1.32 ERA while striking out a strong 28.2% of opponents. Baker’s 11.3% walk rate is a bit high, but he’ll earn a big league look with his swing-and-miss numbers in the minors. The Jays would have had to add Baker to the 40-man roster this winter to keep him from selection in the Rule 5 draft, and they’ll make that call a bit ahead of schedule in hopes of finding a reliable middle innings option for manager Charlie Montoyo down the stretch.