3:49pm: While Wilkerson had the option to elect free agency, he’s instead chosen to accept his assignment to Norfolk, the Orioles announced. Both Kline and Wilkerson will be in Major League camp as non-roster invitees during Spring Training.
12:37pm: The Orioles have outrighted righty Branden Kline and utilityman Stevie Wilkerson, per Dan Connolly of The Athletic (via Twitter). Both cleared waivers after recently being designated for assignment.
Kline, a former second-round draft pick, struggled to a 5.93 ERA in his first taste of the majors last year. He throws hard but didn’t fool many hitters, managing only 7.5 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 while allowing nearly a fifty percent hard contact rate and 2.0 homers per nine innings. Kline will remain with the Baltimore organization, as he does not have the right to elect free agency.
As for the 28-year-old Wilkerson, he will have the right to choose a trip onto the open market. He has spent his entire career to date with the O’s after being selected in the eighth round of the 2014 draft. Wilkerson got a long look in 2019 but limped to a .225/.286/.383 batting line in 361 plate appearances. He has put up solid numbers at the plate in the upper minors and is capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond
Wilkerson = greatest catch last year.
fax he got robbed of the #1 catch
Agreed.
I realize every team cuts players who later develop but it’s gotta hurt to be released by the O’s.
Neither player was released. Learn the difference between being waived and outrighted to the minors and being released. It’s a big difference.
He did not say released he said cut. Like cut from the Orioles which he was: he was cut from the team and he is on some crappier team now, Norfolk or whatever.
He actually said both.
MisterB – u r a dick!
Just watched the video of his catch against Boston that denied them of taking a 6-4 lead in the bottom 8th inning.and by the looks of it, it definitely should’ve been the catch of the year.
Eat, I saw that at the time, and even though JBJ makes fantastic catches , THAT catch was the best I’ve ever seen.
NOOOO NOT THE GREATEST CLOSER OF ALL TIME!!!
Dude sttfu. Why you gotta be ALL IN CAPS!!!
Why you care
Damn, you got 39 jars? That’s a lot of jars.
Nice dad joke old man
???
I was complimenting you on your accumulation of jars. Please don’t be mean to me. I have a minuscule amount of jars.
I have 70+ jars (and counting) of various people’s body fluids, and no one has said anything remotely positive about it except my ex- (RIP). Jars, someone gave you a huge compliment. I hope you show appreciation. But if your username is a reference to Jar Jar Binks, I can give you an even better compliment and say that I have part of your name tattooed all over me, and I feel like that’s more appreciation. And no, that’s not meant as appreciation for Tatooine, which is too harsh of a tundra for people like me (and maybe you, too.)
Vamp – banned for life!
I hope Wilkerson stays. I think he will have a decent career as a super utility player.
Can play multiple positions for sure.
This is exactly what DET should of done with JaCoby Jones. He was given his opportunity. Contact Kevin Pillar and end this nonsense..it’s time to move on.
How demoralizing it must be to have the worst team in baseball tell you you’re not good enough to play for them.
Just an FYI… who has the #1 pick in the draft next year? Oh, that’s right. The Detroit Tigers. Not the Orioles, who play in the toughest division in baseball, but the Tigers, who play in arguably the easiest and still had seven fewer wins.
Getting kind of tired of people taking cheap shots at the O’s because they are easy targets.
Cheap shots? They’re horrible and you know it. Relax, don’t take it personal. FWIW, I’m a Tiger’s fan and will gladly take the #1 overall with all the rotten tomatoes thrown my way. 2019 is over and choosing between Tork, Hancock, or Martin is a great problem to have.
Not really something to get offended over. The orioles are easily a bottom 3 MLB team. Whichever of the Royals, Tigers, and Orioles loses the least is completely irrelevant at this stage.
Yeah, come on! They’re the 2nd worst team, not the worst. Get it right or pay the price!
@Clayton Russell, lol!
You said it yourself: they’re easy targets. It’s not my fault the ownership is probably the worst in baseball or that the team honestly doesn’t seem to care if it ever has a winning record again. As for the Tigers having a worse record last year, they’re rebuilding. Their farm is pretty strong now with a ton of talent and they actually spent a small amount of money this offseason. The Orioles seem intent on staying put and, while they do have Rutschmann, they had a bottom 20% farm system for years before that, despite often picking near the top. Yes, they are the worst team in baseball.
Well you showed your ignorance in thus comment. The tigers have been rebuilding under the same management that got them in this mess in the first place. The orioles started a complete organizational change last season. Their farm is right there with the Tigers also so you really don’t have a leg to stand on with that comment.
I’m not offended when anyone says the O’s are the worst team in baseball, because they are or they’re pretty darn close. But don’t tell me the Tigers are doing wonderful and the O’s are not. Both are years off and currently awful. The difference is that the orioles have completely changed org philosophy and management. The Tigers still have old AL calling the shots.
The Tigers have new management Dombrowski -> Avila, and ownership Mike Illitch -> Chris Illitch. Extending Miggy was Mike’s decision, and I imagine the remaining 15-16’ spending spree was Mr I’s. He wanted a WS. Plain and simple. But, his son is not his father. And unless they sell, I don’t think DET will ever have a top 10 payroll. However, I believe the Tigs have a better outlook when factoring in the two divisions.
It’s too early to tell on the outlook. I obviously agree that the Tigers have a much easier division path. But at the same time the Tigers didn’t have a single major league hitter hit above the league average last year. (Once Castellanos was gone) And the system is so thin when it comes to position players for them. The pitching looks promising but realistically pitching is the hardest thing to develop…Even when that gets there, the Tigers are going to have to buy an offense.
It’d be real hard for me to determine which team gets to the playoffs sooner. I can hear an argument either way. The tigers don’t have to compete with 200 million dollar spending giants like the O’s. And you have the Rays who are very well ran. So it’s a tough path.
jbigz12 – uh you showed your ignorance in “thus” comment. Stylishly savage but the misspelling? Good :judgmentalism” bruh!
wonder if they might actually give Wilkerson BP reps in AAA
And his 50 mph fastball? No, they aren’t. It was solely to get through games. He doesn’t actually have any promise like a Christian Bethancourt or Anthony Gose did.
STFU jbigz12 just STFU
Barber college next?
Gotta think Wilkerson can find a job somewhere. Unlike MOST of these multi-positional guys, Wilkerson offers at least average defense everywhere, switch hits, and plays with some gumption (whatever that means). In short, almost the perfect 26th man.
But the fact nobody claimed him (he only makes minimum) shows teams don’t share that view. I would think he looks for an organization where he sees a possibility of breaking the 26-man as an NRI.
The catch? Ya, like MOST great catches, it was more accident than design. The best part of it were the broadcasters: Ekersely: “AND IT”S GAME 162!!!!! (shows you how players feel about these things). Thorne comparing it to Willie Mays……ya, Gary, love ya, but……….
oh ya…he’s got options too…..
Wilkerson knows he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance with any team other than the Orioles. Baltimore will continue to be horrible as long as they keep recycling the same no talent players.
It’s a rebuild like the Astros did. These are almost all placeholder players. We may find a few diamonds in the rough like Alberto. Really dumb to go slam the O’s. It’s going to be a long year but that’s by design.
The rock says KNOW YOUR ROLE
Baltimore is his best chance to crack an opening day roster and he knows this, that’s why he chose to stay.
I’d say it’s almost likely he does. When DJ Stewart goes on the 60 day DL that’ll free up a 40 man slot for Wilkerson to be the backup CF. I would not be surprised if that was already discussed as a possibility.
He should be a closer