The Orioles announced that they have designated left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment. His roster spot goes to fellow lefty Cole Irvin, whom the club acquired from the A’s in a trade.
Few pitchers in the game can match the 26-year-old Hernandez’s ability to miss bats — evidenced by a 32.3% strikeout rate in 85 1/3 innings at the MLB level. However, even fewer struggle with their command to the same extent as Hernandez, who’s also walked 17.7% of his opponents as a big leaguer. He nonetheless managed a sharp 3.17 ERA with the Red Sox from 2020-21, but the 2022 season was a nightmare; Hernandez was shelled for 17 runs (16 earned) in just 6 2/3 innings with Boston this past season. The Sox designated him for assignment earlier in the winter, and the O’s picked him up in a trade sending cash back to Boston. Overall, he has a 5.06 ERA during his 85 2/3 frames in the Majors.
Even with that poor command, Hernandez could intrigue other clubs. Controllable, hard-throwing lefties who avoid hard contact and have a minor league option remaining aren’t necessarily easy to come by. The Orioles will have a week to trade Hernandez or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. In the event that he goes through waivers unclaimed, the Orioles could assign Hernandez outright to their Triple-A affiliate, thereby keeping him in the organization without the need to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him.
The plot thickens…..
Wait….they couldn’t DFA Lewis Diaz again? Snicker….
Can’t believe Oakland traded away Irvin.
Darwinzon is a guy that id like to see the O’s work with. But the probability that a guy who has never had any control suddenly finds it is very slim.
Yogi B. “This game is 90% mental, the other half physical.” DH definitely has the back half of that wisdom nugget figured out.
Red Sox should pick him up again now that we threw out Matt Barnes and the lefty for infielders.
If Boston had room on their 40-man roster they never would have DFAed him to begin with.
I was mostly kidding. I get it
If you can say his name, tap your shoes 3 times together & you’ll end up in Kansas…
I can see LAD picking him up just for that K factor
Wouldn’t mind the Jays reaching out, here. Lefty who misses bats is something they don’t really have. Walker could hopefully fix those command issues.
This is pretty funny from a social commentary perspective. It’s only a couple of weeks ago that we had all those comments that we should’ve kept him. I believe that one comment was that we should get him glasses.
More than a few of us tried to explain that he never showed any control, but the folks that were predisposed to not liking Bloom, were predisposed to not liking the fact that we let go of Hernandez.
Maybe they can come in here and let us know what they think of BA’s move.
I can think of at least 3-4 frequent commenters that fit into this category
Joe – if you were a baseball fan you’d know the person making the glasses reference (and it wasn’t me) was referring to an old baseball movie called Major League in which a hard throwing relief pitcher known as Wild Thing suddenly found his control by wearing glasses. Perhaps you should stay in your lane of statistics and let the baseball fans talk about the sport they love, which is baseball and not math competitions.
Since you asked, I’m pretty sure others would say they understand why Baltimore would choose a more sure thing in fellow lefty Irvin than keep a guy who is clearly a project. Damn shame you had to ask what others would think though. If you followed baseball, you’d have known already.
The same person that suggested glasses also suggested a sports psychiatrist. I found it laughable to think that a casual fan thought they had simplistic answers that baseball FO’s offices missed.
Joseph – I didn’t see the comment you are referencing, so without the context I won’t discuss it further. But I do find it equally hilarious that you are discounting the benefits of psychiatrists, despite your constantly defending all the “mental skills” type coaches employed by the Red Sox.
You can’t have it both ways based on the individual arguments you are trying to make. Either psychiatrists are a waste of time and money, or mental skills coaches are.
And you already know how I feel about the subject, the “mental skills” coaches are a joke. Everybody in every occupation has to deal with mental issues, whether it’s anxiety or marital problems or mourning a loved one or whatever. If players really can’t cope on their own or with the support of family and friends, then they probably don’t belong in MLB.
Back in the day players relied on their manager and bench coach … guys who played the game and have often been in the player’s shoes, and are therefore in a better position to help than some nobody mental skills coach who got the job because they are friends or related to the hiring manager.
I’m pretty sure others would say they understand why Baltimore would choose a more sure thing in fellow lefty Irvin
===========================
Of course. BA thought they made a marginal upgrade by claiming Hernandez. Then decided that Irvin would be another marginal upgrade, so they waived Hernandez.
And this is also what Boston did when they waived Hernandez. This is also what the next GM will do if/when someone claims Hernandez. This is what every GM does.
The only difference is y’all want to make a mountain out of a molehill. Hernandez is nothing but an interesting reclamation That’s what Bloom thought and that’s what Elias thought.
And I know you will disagree, but if Elias was the one to initially waive him, and Bloom claimed him, y’all would’ve had the same bargain basement response.
Joseph – Hernandez is no sense of the word a “marginal upgrade”. He is a high risk, high reward player. A lottery ticket. If any team thinks they can fix his one flaw, lack of control, and they are able to do so, they will have one heck of a reliever on their hands.
And to remind you, I was at peace with his release by the Red Sox. Not because I think he will never make it as a ML reliever, but because of Bloom’s poor track record in developing pitchers.
Joe – Absolutely correct as always.
Darwinzon Hernandez has never had control at any level. I posted his innings pitched and walks side-by-side at every level he pitched at when he was DFA. Did he have great stuff, yes. Was he a reliable bullpen arm, NO. He was completely expendable considering the arms the Red Sox have in AAA (Walter, Murphy, Mata, Crawford, Winckowski……).
One thing I’m pretty good at is I have no issue changing my mind when presented with superior logic or changing circumstances. I thought Darwinzon was going to be great. He wasn’t. Such is life.
Mets claim? Could use another lefty for the pen.
He’s awful.
All after paying to get him? So strange
Not really strange…if they think he will get through, but now be in our org it is worthwhile. He obviously has arm talent.
But he is probably the current 40th best on the team.
It’s baseball.
I’ll bet Fetter can fix ‘em!
It’s much later in the off-season, hopefully we can sneak him through waivers and build on him in the minors. Maybe we can make a Tanner Scott 2.0 if he can have a Bautista like revelation in control.
Natural selection at work. Darwin.
I was waiting for the joke about Darwinism…
Darwinzon lol
Darwinzon and Dar lose some.
Body by Atlas…..brain by Fischer Price