The Orioles announced another series of roster moves Thursday, selecting the contract of first baseman Jesus Aguilar (whom they signed to a minor league deal yesterday), recalling top pitching prospect DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk and designating infielder Richie Martin for assignment.
An All-Star when he hit 35 home runs for the 2018 Brewers, the now-32-year-old Aguilar was with the Marlins from 2020 up until a couple weeks ago, when Miami designated him for assignment and released him. Aguilar was a solid middle-of-the-order bat for the Fish in 2020-21 but has stumbled to a .236/.286/.388 batting line through 456 plate appearances this season — including a dismal .188/.246/.347 output since the All-Star break.
Ugly as those numbers are, Aguilar hit a combined .262/.338/.476 in just shy of 2000 plate appearances from 2017-21, so there’s a track record of solid productivity in his bat. The O’s will hope that he can return to form and provide a boost to a lineup that has struggled to score runs of late. If Aguilar can indeed recapture that form, he’ll help to replace the production of Trey Mancini, whom the Orioles shipped to Houston at the trade deadline despite being within striking distance of a Wild Card berth. Mancini hit .268/.347/.404 in 401 plate appearances this year prior to being traded.
Hall, the No. 21 overall pick back in 2017, made his big league debut earlier in 2022 but was tagged for five runs in 3 2/3 innings that day. He’s had an uneven season in the minors this year, pitching to a combined 4.48 ERA with a huge 36.6% strikeout rate but an ugly 13.4% walk rate in 84 1/3 innings between one start in High-A, one in Double-A and another 22 appearances (18 starts) in Triple-A.
Those shaky numbers notwithstanding, Hall still ranks among the game’s top 100 prospects due to a fastball that reaches triple digits and a collection of offspeed pitches that all have the potential to be plus offerings. This year’s 13.4% walk rate is an exact match with his career mark in the minors, however, which underscores the ongoing location issues he’s battled throughout his time as a professional.
Martin, 27, was the top pick in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft. A former first-rounder of the Athletics, Baltimore pounced on the opportunity to add him to the organization and hoped he could eventually carve out a role on the big league club. That hasn’t happened yet, however, as Martin floundered through a rookie season in which he couldn’t be optioned due to his Rule 5 status, hitting .208/.260/.322 in 2019. He’s only had 138 Major League plate appearances during that time, due in no small part to a fluke pair of broken wrists — both his left and his right — which obviously led to considerable time on the injured list.
Overall, Martin is a .212/.261/.311 hitter in 447 Major League plate appearances, and his .234/.333/.349 slash in 390 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level aren’t all that much better. It’s fair to wonder whether his development would’ve turned out differently were it not for that pair of fractures, but as a 27-year-old former prospect on a team that’s looking to turn the corner and emerge from a years-long rebuilding effort, Martin’s place on the 40-man roster has increasingly looked to be on shaky ground. He’ll be placed on outright waivers or released within a week’s time, as he’s ineligible to be traded at this point in the season.
Subtraction by addition with Aguilar
Not really. O’s need a First Baseman and he can alternate at 1B/DH with Mountcastle and Mountcastle can play LF so no reason not see if he can give them anything
Mountcastle has not played the outfield this season and it’s doubtful he will any time soon.
Incorrect.
Aguilar significantly upgrades the Orioles’ RH pinch-hitting option off the bench. This season that’s been Ryan McKenna.
Rodriguez has been utterly dominant every year in the minor leagues
You’re in the middle of a playoff race. If there’s anyone you would call up it’s that guy
still rehabbing his injury
He’s hurt? Has been for weeks. Just started throwing on the mound again.
Oh, ok. That’s news I must have missed then. Well, it makes sense now
Must be Camden as in New Jersey, because you’re definitely not an O’s fan.
I mean let’s get this straight. The Orioles are in a legitimate hunt for a playoff spot
They trade Mancini and Lopez and refuse to call up Grayson Rodriguez. Like, what are you doing? Have some backbone as management
rehabbing
Rodriguez makes his first rehab start at Aberdeen tonight. He’s scheduled to go 2-3 innings max. The Mancini trade has allowed the O’s to promote young guys like Vavra, Stowers, and now Gunnar Henderson. We all loved Trey, but he hasn’t really been missed in the lineup. Lopez has been replaced by Felix Bautista as closer. Yes, we do have one less quality arm in the bullpen which has shown itself a couple of times.
I would be the first to be critical of mgmt but I think it’s a wise move to not rush him back, and maybe not even in ’22 despite how much that hurts me to say
Outside of the fact that he couldn’t have helped the team over the last 3 months while nursing his lat strain — it could be a few rehab starts before he can really regain his form. They want to be careful with their prize arm, I want him at 100% going fwd rather than have him possibly take a risk of further injury.
But the tricky part is if we add him to the 40 man, the O’s are going to have some hard decisions this off-season as he’ll occupy that slot. That could mean less ability to keep a player from getting snatched in the Rule 5 and also, makes free agent acquisitions even trickier.
We’re playing with house money in ’22, let’s see what we can do without hurting our guys for the real test next season.
Who would you bump of the roster for Rodriquez? Rosters are only expanding by two spots. Hall is going to the pen, I don’t see anyone else to move.
Probably DFA someone like Arauz or Yennier Cano, and option Nick Vespi
I think Aguilar is worth a shot. Losing Martin doesn’t seem to big at this point he’s had his chances.
Aguilar is of little risk. The team needs a little pop and he’s not holding anyone else up.
Martin lasted about 2 years longer than he should have. He never was able to hit and his fielding wasn’t as good as advertised. I see this DFA as a sign the Orioles are FINALLY to the point where dead weight gets shed from the roster.
I admit I had the Orioles pegged at 61 wins this year (still a 9 win improvement). Playing well above expectations and within a couple games of the playoffs in September – that is great for the fans used to not having to pay attention after Memorial Day.
The O’s need a run producing RH bat. If Aguilar doesn’t work out they’ll need to get someone in the offseason.
Their RH bars are not producing consistently. Hays had a bad period; Mountcastle can’t get out of his; Mateo is really in for defensive reasons – any hitting is a bonus; Urias is a sensational 3B, decent 2B, has his moments as a hitter, but he’s hardly a run producing threat; and Rutschman and Santander are much better LH hitters (Adley is hitting under .,200 RH). Meanwhile the 3 prospects they called up that all look like they can hit are LH – Vavra, Stowers, and Henderson.