The Orioles have released right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske, according to the MLB.com transactions tracker. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that he could be interested in an opportunity with a foreign professional club.
Kriske, who turns 28 in February, was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. He climbed his way up the ranks of the minors and eventually made his MLB debut in 2020. However, he’s been given very limited opportunities at the big league level thus far, only logging 15 innings in the past two seasons combined. He has an unsightly 14.40 ERA in that small sample, but has been much better in the minors.
At Triple-A this year, between the Yankees’ and Orioles’ systems, he threw 29 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.68, along with a hefty strikeout rate of 37.4%, but a lofty walk rate of 12.2%. The Orioles claimed him on waivers from the Yankees in September, but he wasn’t able to hold onto his roster spot through the winter. He is still young and has an option year remaining, which could give him some appeal to other clubs as a depth signing.
The release of Kriske means Baltimore now has 39 players on their 40-man roster, allowing them to potentially use that open spot in the Rule 5 draft. The rebuilding Orioles have been quite active in recent Rule 5 drafts, making three selections in 2017, one in 2018 and then two selections in both 2019 and 2020. The draft is scheduled to take place December 9, but could be delayed by the lockout and transaction freeze that are expected to follow the expiration of the CBA on December 1.
lst question: what took so long? Smh
it’s the orioles lol
14.40 career era, and they released him. WTF
Sheldon will be pleased… oh wait, that’s Barry Kripke.
This guy should never be allowed to get within a city block of a MLB mound again, ever! Ahahahaha!
Hopefully Kriske has other career plans, being released by a AAAA team doesn’t bode well for continued MLB action.
But at least the Orioles can select a cast-off that another team doesn’t feel is worthy of a 40 man spot! The Orioles are all over that Rule 5. Probably since they were the ones who lost Jose Bautista in it 15 years or so ago.
Also, if they are actually dangling Mullins out there then this team is hopeless. He’s under team control through 2025! I could understand if he was only under control for 2022 and maybe 2023, but if they think 4+ more seasons until they are relevant there is no end to the “rebuild.”…if the Orioles are not willing to compete hopefully the structure of the new CBA will force them to!
Ryan Flaherty, TJ MacFarland, Anthony Santander, Richie Martin, And (looking like a GREAT find) Tyler Wells all say hello….
The only decent Rule 5 player for the Orioles was Jay Gibbons.
The Orioles aren’t “dangling” Mullins, that was Means. As for Mullins the tweet from Heyman said they were “listening”. Heyman also said it was a long shot and that the Orioles wanted a large return. Unfortunately we paranoid Baltimoreans ( I am one of them) overreacted to the first part of the tweet ( listening) and not the main part ( long shot, want a huge return). Mullins isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Means
geo – yes, thanks
Listening on Mullins
Dangling Means, which I can partly understand but only if they will actually go and get other competent pitchers.
FWIW as an Os fan, I hope they can trade Mullins, and I love the guy. We have Soooo many outfielders.
Santander also.
It’s sad as a baseball fan of 30 years what has happened to Cal Ripken Jr’s old team.
Tyler wells was a great find. But what is absolutely unacceptable and shouldn’t be overlooked is that the Orioles chose to lose Zach Pop in the rule 5 draft.
Drafting Mac Sceroler in the 2nd round vs. simply protecting Pop and having another optionable reliever was one of the stupidest things Elias has done in his tenure.
Agree 100%. He is still learning the game, but I am sure that one hurts. We all knew he wasn’t coming back to the Os.
You are mixed up: Sceroler was 1st round. Tyler Wells was picked in 2nd round of Rule 5 draft.
Yep you’re right. Shocking that Sceroler was even taken.
With all the activity going on yesterday, Orioles fans are glad they are getting in on the action.
>being released by a AAAA team doesn’t bode well for continued MLB action.
Tell that to Mike Yaz or Richard Rodriguez
Or other pitchers they’d given up on and/or didn’t want to pay: Jake Arrieta. Kevin Gausman, Mike Mussina.
It doesn’t matter how much talent there is in the minors if it isn’t coached/managed/groomed well.. Hopefully they don’t turn Adley Rutschman into Jeff Tackett.
This is funny
A lot of teams gave up on Gausman. Atlanta waived him and Cincinnati non tendered him. Went to San Francisco and had 2 good years. Did they re-sign him? No he went to Toronto. Giants had the money, Toronto just offered more. Doesn’t make the Giants cheap. The Dodgers couldn’t hold on to Scherzer. Sometimes you get outbid
The difference is that the Giants will pursue other viable options. The Orioles will hope that Mike Wright turns into Mike Mussina via pixie dust.
The Orioles are only willing to bid against themselves to sign Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Davis
The Orioles of the past are not the Orioles of the present.
Peter Angelos had a heavy hand in team decision making, as seen with the Chris Davis contract. Now his sons are running the ownership side of things for their father and they seem to keep themselves out of any baseball decision making.
Dan Duquette was the GM who either traded or let walk Arrieta, Rodriguez, Gausman, and Yaz. He also is the one who played a large part in hiring the incapable coaching staffs in the minors. Since his departure in 2019, Mike Elias has taken over and I am of the opinion that he has done a great job thus far with the rebuild; despite it not yet being over.
So while the Orioles have had their moments, the current team brass is far more competent then those of the past.
It’s hard to say how well Elias has done. He’s been allowed to scout internationally which gives him a gigantic advantage over his predecessor. Not really apples to apples.
He blew it with the Kjerstad pick. I hated the idea of a corner OF with the 2nd pick at the time. Even worse now considering the injury to him and Baumler.
G-Rod has progressed significantly in the minors but Means is the only ML pitcher who has developed. The farm is #1 in baseball due to those 2 guys up top. AR was a CANT miss and G-Rod was Duke’s pick.
I think he’s doing alright but we haven’t seen really any fruits of his labor. Aside from…..Tyler wells?
Jacob – you can say that, but we have to see it. If anything, the “new” Orioles are even cheaper than the Orioles of old when Peter just wouldn’t pay for pitching but would bring in some talent to improve the actual MLB club, not supposed guys 2 or more years away from maybe competing at MLB level.
I’ve heard the same song and dance about prospects going back to the mid 80s, under several different versions of Orioles’ brass. Ken Gerhart was going to be a 30/30 guy. There were numerous “aces in waiting” like Brian Matusz. So until results are actually sustained at the major league level with home grown guys, I am going to doubt any claim of competence. I haven’t even seen Elias get the better of a trade such as the Adam Jones deal or Miguel Tejada fleecing of the past – but to be fair there hasn’t been much of anything for him to trade.
Curt schilling as well
The Os suck so bad they get their best players from the Rule 5.
This is the time every year when draft-eligible minor leaguers everywhere are sitting around their houses thinking “please don’t pick me, Orioles”
Leave them alone.
Hey, airplanes and major league minimums are better than bus trips…
Sure are, Saying a minor leaguer would not want to be picked in Rule 5 by the Orioles or any other team is the stupidest baseball-related comment I have read in 2021. Only a moron who has no clue would own such a preposterous statement.
I would think the Orioles would be that player’s last option for being picked in the Rule 5. Yes you would get the $ minimum, the private planes, good hotels and food but you are still surrounded primarily by minor leaguers on the field and lose a lot more games.
From the fan’s perspective, really this is literally picking through another team’s trash. If a player is worth keeping, he’s going to be protected on the 40. The Rule 5 is betting on another team’s incompetence.
A selection of a Rule 5 player is a great opportunity for a minor leaguer…. a chance to make $575k/yr, travel in private team planes, 4-5 star hotels, all the clubhouse amenities, etc. I could go on and on.
The BIGGEST new out of Baltimore is that they’ll be giving away the team mascot’s bobblehead next year. Yes Oriole fans, they’ll be giving you the bird.
That made my day thanks Bob
Angels could pick this up on a 1 year contract
Are minor leaguers that are exposed to the Rule 5 Draft covered by the MLBPA? If not, I don’t see why the MLB couldn’t hold the draft. There may be a commitment to put them on the 40-man and active rosters but it wouldn’t have to be executed until after the CBA is finalized.
Kriske will always go down as the Player the Yankees wanted more than Whitlock. Not sure how/why Cashman still has a job. Good thing George no longer around.
The Yankees make way less mistakes, but every time I am reminded of one I think of: “What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?…”