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Nick Maton Accepts Outright Assignment With Orioles

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The Orioles announced this evening that Nick Maton cleared outright waivers. He accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk instead of electing free agency. Baltimore had designated Maton and lefty Cole Irvin for assignment on Saturday; the Twins claimed Irvin off waivers.

Maton has had a pair of brief stints on the major league roster. He has picked up five at-bats, going hitless with a couple strikeouts. The 27-year-old infielder has had a strong year with Norfolk. Maton has hit 16 homers with an excellent 13.2% walk rate en route to a .261/.368/.477 slash in 86 games. He carries a .251/.367/.431 batting line in a little more than 1000 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level.

A former 7th-round pick by the Phillies, Maton went to the Tigers as part of the Gregory Soto trade return. He appeared in a career-high 93 games with Detroit last season but struggled on both sides of the ball. Maton hit .173/.288/.305 in 249 plate appearances. That and his out-of-options status have led teams to pass on claiming him for the second time this year.

Maton will stick around as non-roster infield depth. He’d be eligible for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason if the Orioles don’t call him back up.

Twins Claim Cole Irvin

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The Twins announced Monday that they’ve claimed lefty Cole Irvin off waivers from the Orioles, who’d designated him for assignment last week. Minnesota opened a 40-man roster spot by designating right-hander Randy Dobnak for assignment. Irvin will join the roster tomorrow, Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets. The veteran lefty would not be eligible for the Twins’ postseason roster, given that he’s being acquired after Sept. 1.

Irvin, 30, will give the Twins some rotation depth for the final couple weeks of the season and can be controlled for two additional seasons via arbitration if the Twins choose. He’s had an up-and-down tenure with the Orioles after being acquired from the A’s in the 2022-23 offseason in a trade that sent infield prospect Darell Hernaiz to Oakland.

Irvin was initially acquired to help stabilize the O’s rotation. From 2021-22, he gave the A’s 62 starts (359 1/3 innings) of 4.11 ERA ball with a well below-average 16.8% strikeout rate but also a very strong 5.2% walk rate. As a homer-prone lefty who averaged 91 mph with his heater, Irvin had clearly benefited to an extent from the Athletics’ cavernous home park, but his Baltimore tenure got off to a far shakier start than anyone could’ve reasonably expected. Irvin was shelled for 15 runs in his first 12 2/3 innings, and the O’s optioned him to Triple-A after just three appearances. He spent much of the remainder of the ’23 season as an up-and-down swingman.

The 2024 season brought a slew of injuries to the Baltimore staff, and with it came a fresh opportunity for Irvin. He ran with it for a good portion of the season, as he’s rattled off 16 starts and another nine relief appearances — several of them covering three or four innings. In 107 1/3 frames this year, Irvin carries a 4.86 earned run average. He’s fanned 16.2% of his opponents against a 5.3% walk rate — marks that mirror his rate stats from his peak days in Oakland. Home runs have again been an issue (1.43 HR/9), but for an injury-ravaged Twins club that is currently relying on three rookies (Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, Zebby Matthews) behind Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober, Irvin could provide some veteran help to the staff, whether in the rotation or as a long reliever.

Irvin is earning $2MM this season after avoiding arbitration over the winter. He’s owed about $151K of that between now and season’s end, and the Twins will assume that in full. If he’s retained via arbitration, Irvin isn’t likely to be a particularly costly option; his modest workload and generally pedestrian results this season should keep next year’s salary in the rough vicinity of $3MM, assuming he’s tendered a contract. He’s out of minor league options, so Irvin will need to stick on the Twins’ roster this year and throughout the offseason or else once again be designated for assignment and likely exposed to outright waivers.

Irvin hasn’t started a game since Aug. 27, when he tossed 60 pitches over 4 1/3 innings. He did toss three innings and 43 pitches on Sept. 2, plus another one-inning relief outing on Sept. 9 (15 pitches). He may not be stretched out to jump into the rotation and throw 100 pitches, but if the Twins need, he should be an option to pitch as many as three to five innings, depending on pitch count. Whether that’ll happen or whether Irvin will simply head to the ’pen isn’t yet clear. Lopez will start tonight’s series opener in Cleveland, and he’s slated to be followed by Matthews, Ober and Woods Richardson, respectively. Of that group, Matthews has struggled the most. He’s lined up to start tomorrow. Irvin could piggyback with him or replace him outright, depending on how the Twins feel about the matchup.

In order to make room on the roster, Dobnak will be designated for assignment for a second time in his career. The right-hander was a sensational story in 2019, ascending from indie-ball hurler and part-time Uber driver to the Twins’ big league rotation. He pitched well enough in that debut showing and in the shortened 2020 season (combined 3.12 ERA, 15.7 K%, 5.7 BB%, 58.8 GB% in 75 innings) that the Twins signed him to a five-year, $9.25MM contract with a trio of club options.

Injuries and a downturn in performance have soured that modestly priced deal, however. Dobnak was torched for a 7.64 ERA in 2021, removed from the 40-man roster in 2022 and passed through waivers. He posted an ERA north of 5.00 in Triple-A from 2022-23 but has had a rebound in St. Paul this year, logging a 3.90 ERA in 23 starts and four relief appearances for the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate. That prompted a fresh look in the majors, but Dobnak allowed five runs on nine hits and five walks with seven punchouts in 7 2/3 innings.

Dobnak is still owed a bit more than $170K of this year’s $2.25MM salary, plus a $3MM salary in 2025 and at least a $1MM buyout on the first of his three club options. That remaining $4.17MM on his contract will all but assure he clears waivers. He’s been outrighted before, so Dobnak will technically have the opportunity to reject the assignment, but doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of that salary. There’s no chance he’ll do that, so assuming he indeed goes unclaimed, he’ll remain with the organization in Triple-A but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Orioles Designate Cole Irvin, Nick Maton For Assignment

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The Orioles announced this morning that they’ve designated left-hander Cole Irvin and infielder Nick Maton for assignment. The moves open up active roster spots for outfielder Heston Kjerstad and right-hander Jacob Webb, both of whom were activated from the injured list in corresponding moves. The club’s 40-man roster now stands at 38.

Irvin, 30, is in his second season with the Orioles. The lefty was acquired from the A’s prior to the 2023 season to help provide stability at the back of Baltimore’s rotation, and while he’s struggled to keep a consistent hold on a spot in the rotation (or even on the roster) during his time with the club he has offered the Orioles a versatile depth option capable of pitching out of the rotation or bullpen as needed. In his two seasons with the club, Irvin has posted a combined 4.68 ERA with a 4.56 FIP in 184 2/3 innings of work while appearing in 49 games, 28 of which were starts. He struggled in his latest stint with the Orioles, surrendering three runs on four hits (two homers) while striking out five in four innings of work spread across two outings.

Maton, 27, has spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A for Norfolk and while he’s hit quite well at that level with a .273/.429/.455 slash line in 86 games, his track record with the big league club has been far less impressive. Maton has made it into just five games with the Orioles as a pinch hitter this year, and has gone hitless with two strikeouts in those five at-bats. Prior to joining the Orioles, Maton excelled in a bench role for the Phillies with a .253/.330/.434 slash line in 216 plate appearances before being traded to Detroit and struggling in a larger role with the Tigers, for whom he hit just .173/.288/.305 in 93 games.

Meanwhile, Kjerstad returns to the active roster to re-enter the club’s outfield mix. The 25-year-old suffered a concussion when he was struck on the head by a pitch from right-hander Clay Holmes on July 12 and previous attempted to return just over a week later. Kjerstad hit just .111/.238/.111 in his 21 trips to the plate after returning, however, and ultimately went back on the IL on August 1 due to the issue. Overall, Kjerstad sports a strong .261/.370/.420 slash line in 81 trips to the plate at the big league level this year and should provide the club with another quality outfield option behind Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, and Colton Cowser over the season’s final weeks. It’s even possible that Kjerstad could make an appearance at first base, where he has 46 games of experience in the minor leagues, given deep slump since the start of August and Ryan Mountcastle’s wrist sprain.

As for Webb, the right-hander has emerged as a key piece of Baltimore’s bullpen since being claimed off waivers from the Angels last August. In 71 2/3 innings of work with the club since then, Webb has posted an excellent 3.14 ERA with 3.35 FIP and struck out 25.4% of opponents. The righty was sidelined by a bout of elbow inflammation in early August but now figures to return to the club’s late inning mix alongside Seranthony Dominguez and Yennier Cano headed into the postseason.

Orioles Notes: Webb, Mountcastle, Coulombe, Westburg

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  • Jacob Webb’s activation from the Orioles’ injured list could happen during the team’s current series with the Tigers, manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters.  Before a bout of elbow inflammation sent him to the 15-day IL on August 4, Webb was one of Baltimore’s more solid relievers, delivering a 3.08 ERA over 49 2/3 innings and 53 appearances out of the Orioles bullpen.  Of the many players on the Orioles’ IL, Webb seems closest to returning, though Danny Coulombe is continuing a minor league rehab assignment and might not be far off.  Jordan Westburg has resumed baseball activities and is hitting in a batting cage as he works his way back from a fractured hand.
  • Ryan Mountcastle is still in the early stages of a hitting progression, but Hyde wasn’t sure if the Orioles first baseman will be back before the regular season is over.  Mountcastle’s IL stint due to a sprained left wrist began on August 23, and he has hit .265/.305/.425 with 13 home runs in 485 PA.  As Kubatko writes, the loss of Mountcastle’s steady production has been more glaring since first base replacement Ryan O’Hearn has been caught in an ugly slump.

Orioles Notes: Rodriguez, Coulombe, Camden Yards

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It has been just over a month since the Orioles placed Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list due to a right lat/teres strain, and pitching coach Drew French provided reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill) with an update on Rodriguez’s recovery process.  Rodriguez threw his first bullpen session earlier this week, and French said “we’re hopeful that we’ll get a live [batting practice session] in and a rehab assignment started pretty soon.“

This would seem to put Rodriguez on pace for the late-September return that was projected by GM Mike Elias last month, though French left some wiggle room in stating whether or not Rodriguez would return as a starting pitcher.  “We’re very hopeful to have him back in that capacity,” French said, but “obviously everything is on the table at this point, so [we] just kind of take it day-by-day and see where we’re at at the end.”

The calendar is naturally the issue, as the minor league season concludes on September 22.  The Orioles don’t want to rush Rodriguez’s throwing progression for fear of aggravating his injury or causing a setback, yet as French put it, “we know we’re coming up against it right now” in terms of having enough time for Rodriguez to build up his pitch count through minor league rehab starts.  On paper, Rodriguez could perhaps bank a minor league start and then continue his ramp-up in the majors, perhaps as a piggyback starter at first.

Since this would all have to come amidst the Orioles’ battle for the AL East title, it wouldn’t be an ideal situation for either the team or the player.  While Baltimore is a virtual lock to reach the playoffs, winning the division and earning a first-round bye is the Orioles’ preferred method of entry.  That bit of extra break would allow the O’s to line up their ideal postseason rotation, and gauge whether or not Rodriguez is fully fit enough to be part of said rotation.

Rodriguez’s spot as a playoff starter was all but assured at the time of his injury, as the second-year right-hander has a 3.86 ERA and above-average strikeout and walk rates over 116 2/3 innings.  Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin have playoff rotation spots booked, and any of Rodriguez, Albert Suarez, or Dean Kremer could be line for other starts depending on health, effectiveness, matchups, or however long Baltimore’s playoff run lasts.

Another pitcher’s timeline is a little clearer, as Danny Coulombe is set to start a rehab assignment this Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk.  Coulombe went on the 60-day injured list in June after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow, and appears to be on pace to return to the Orioles’ relief corps before the season is over.  Coulombe has been nothing short of outstanding since joining the O’s in March 2023, becoming a trusted setup man on the strength of a 2.68 ERA in his 77 1/3 innings in a Baltimore uniform.

Seranthony Dominguez has emerged as the Orioles’ top closing candidate since he was acquired from the Phillies at the trade deadline, helping stabilize a Baltimore bullpen that has been a relative weak link in terms of its overall middle-of-the-pack performance.  Losing Coulombe for a big chunk of the year didn’t help the bullpen’s cause, but his return should help further bolster the reliever depth chart heading into October.

In other Orioles news, chairman and CEO David Rubenstein shared some details on the renovations planned for Camden Yards as part of an interview with FOX 5’s Steve Chenevey (hat tip to Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun).  The process is tentatively slated to begin during the 2025-26 offseason and “take about four years before it’s completed….hopefully by the end of ’28 we will complete all the retrofit of the stadium,” Rubenstein said.  The exact range of renovations isn’t yet known, though Rubenstein suggested that the work will add a few more modern touches and amenities to Camden Yards.

Orioles Sign Terrin Vavra To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles announced this afternoon that they’ve signed infielder Terrin Vavra to a minor league deal. Vavra was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week and elected free agency shortly thereafter. Since Vavra changed organizations after September 1, he will not be eligible to participate in the postseason with the Orioles.

Vavra, 27, was a third-round pick by the Rockies back in 2018 who was dealt to the Orioles at the trade deadline in 2020 as part of the deal that sent Mychal Givens to Colorado. He made his big league debut back in 2022 and posted a solid 40-game stretch with Baltimore where he hit a roughly league average .258/.340/.337 while splitting time between second base and the outfield for the club. Entering the 2023 season, Vavra was with the club in the big leagues but hit just .245/.315/.245 in 56 trips to the plate before heading to the IL with a shoulder strain.

That shoulder problem eventually turned out to be a torn labrum, and Vavra went under the knife to address the issue in September of last year. He returned to action back in May and, although he posted a decent .243/.350/.368 in 44 games at the Triple-A level with the club’s affiliate in Norfolk, he didn’t manage to crack the club’s increasingly crowded big league roster and eventually found himself designated for assignment back in August without having made a big league appearance for the club this year. Vavra was claimed off waivers by the Mariners shortly thereafter, but did not make it into a big league game with the club and played just three games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma before being designated for assignment to make room for the return of infielder Luis Urias to the 40-man roster.

Vavra then elected free agency, leading him to his latest stint with the Orioles. While the 27-year-old won’t be able to play for the club in the postseason even if added to the 40-man roster at some point down the stretch, he still offers the club a familiar emergency depth option for the remainder of the regular season who can be called upon in the event more of the club’s infield options join Jordan Westburg, Ramon Urias, and Jorge Mateo on the injured list as the club remains engaged with the Yankees in a close battle for the AL East crown. The Orioles currently have Nick Maton and Livan Soto backing up their middle infield of Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday while Coby Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera split time at the hot corner.

Heston Kjerstad To Begin Rehab Assignment

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  • The Orioles announced that Heston Kjerstad will start a rehab assignment at the team’s A-ball affiliate in Aberdeen beginning tomorrow.  Kjerstad has been on the concussion-related injury list since August 1, marking his second stint on the concussion-IL since he was hit in the head by a Clay Holmes pitch on July 12.  The good news is that Kjerstad has cleared concussion protocol and now looks ready to return to action.  Now in his second MLB season, the former top prospect has continued to show glimpses of his potential with a .261/.370/.420 slash line in 81 plate appearances with Baltimore this season, and a healthy Kjerstad could provide a nice boost for the O’s heading into the playoffs.

Orioles Outright David Banuelos

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September 5: Banuelos cleared waivers and accepted an outright back to Norfolk, the Orioles announced.

September 2: The Orioles announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Nick Maton. To make room for Maton on the club’s 40-man and active rosters, catcher David Banuelos has been designated for assignment.

Maton, 27, is back on the Orioles’ active roster for the second time this year. He made a two-inning cameo on defense at second base earlier this year but did not step up to the plate before being designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster back in June. The versatile fielder has been playing for the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk ever since, and his season there has gone quite well. In 86 games at the level this season, Maton has raked to the tune of a .261/.368/.477 slash line with a 13.2% walk rate and 16 homers in 340 trips to the plate. In addition to that strong showing at the plate, Maton has flashed his versatility by splitting time between all four infield spots as well as both outfielder corners.

Now in his fourth season in the majors, Maton enjoyed success in a part-time role with the Phillies during the first two seasons of his career as he slashed a solid .254/.330/.434 in 216 trips to the plate across a combined 86 games in those years. Maton went on to be traded to the Tigers as part of the Gregory Soto trade during the 2022-23 offseason, but his time in Detroit left much to be desired. In 93 games with the Tigers last year, Maton hit a paltry .173/.288/.305 across 293 plate appearances, a rough performance that led the infielder to be designated for assignment over the winter and eventually swapped to Baltimore in a cash deal back in February.

Even in spite of those offensive struggles last year, Maton’s previous success in Philadelphia at the big league level and his strong minor league numbers with the Orioles this year provide some reason for optimism that he can be an effective bench bat for the club. A return to form would make Maton a valuable piece for the Orioles down the stretch, particularly as the club weathers the losses of Jorge Mateo, Jordan Westburg, and Ramon Urias to the injured list around the infield. Mateo is done for the year after undergoing elbow surgery last week, and while there’s optimism that both Westburg and Urias will return to action before the end of the season neither has a specific timetable for return to this point. That leaves Maton as the club’s primary backup on the infield behind youngsters Gunnar Henderson at shortstop, Jackson Holliday at second base, and Coby Mayo at third, though Emmanuel Rivera could also chip in at the hot corner on occasion.

As for Banuelos, the catcher was selected to the big league roster just yesterday to replace the injured Urias on the club’s roster. He did not ultimately make it into yesterday’s game before being designated for assignment, and he figures to head back to the minors with just one big league plate appearance under his belt from when he pinch hit for Colton Cowser back in April during his last cup of coffee at the big league level. In 22 games at the Triple-A level this year, Banuelos sports a .225/.361/.352 slash line across 86 trips to the plate.

Orioles Outright Forrest Wall

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The Orioles announced this afternoon that outfielder Forrest Wall cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. He does not have the requisite service time nor the previous career outright that would allow him to elect free agency.

Baltimore claimed Wall off waivers from the Marlins last week. They designated him for assignment within a few days. Wall has not played for the Orioles. He has 31 big league games under his belt, split between the Braves and Miami within the past two years. Wall has an impressive .311/.380/.422 slash in that limited time. His Triple-A track record is more modest, as he’s a .269/.355/.387 hitter through 369 games at that level.

The 28-year-old generally gets on base at a decent clip. He doesn’t hit for much power, though, and he’s not regarded as a great defensive outfielder. That’s despite fantastic speed that translates on the bases. Wall has four seasons with at least 35 stolen bases in the minors. He topped the 50-steal threshold in both 2022 and ’23, though he’s 20-28 in that regard between MLB and Triple-A this year. The O’s will keep Wall in Norfolk for the stretch run and could reselect his contract if they want to add a designated pinch-runner. He’d qualify for minor league free agency next offseason if Baltimore doesn’t call him back up.

Orioles Release Jean Segura, Outright Nick Vespi

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Amidst an already busy day of Orioles transactions, the O’s announced two more moves, as infielder Jean Segura has been released from his minor league contract and left-hander Nick Vespi was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

Segura signed his minors deal in August, and hit only .137/.250/.196 over 60 plate appearances in 14 games with Norfolk.  This marked Segura’s first game action of any kind since his last game as a member of the Marlins on July 31, 2023.  The Marlins traded Segura to the Guardians the next day as part of the deadline deal that brought Josh Bell to the Miami, and since Segura was only included in the trade as salary offset, Cleveland immediately released the veteran infielder.

MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko (via X) notes that Segura asked to be released and the Orioles granted the request, which could be interpreted in a few ways.  It could be that Segura wanted to pursue other opportunities if Baltimore wasn’t going to add him to the MLB roster, or it might be a hint that Segura might be considering retirement.  Because Segura didn’t play any winter ball and there wasn’t any indication that he was seeking out another playing contract in the year since the Guardians released him, his deal with the O’s could be viewed as one final attempt at reviving his playing career.

The two-year, $17MM free agent contract Segura signed with the Marlins in the 2022-23 offseason expires at the end of this season, which could also provide something of a clean break for the official end of his playing career.  It remains to be seen if Segura is indeed thinking about calling it a career, but if so, his rough results with Miami in 2023 shouldn’t obscure an otherwise very solid 12-season run in the majors that included a pair of All-Star nods.

Baltimore designated Vespi for assignment last week, and he’ll now head to Triple-A after he cleared waivers and was removed from the Orioles’ 40-man roster.  This was the first time Vespi has been outrighted, and he doesn’t have enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Vespi will instead head to Norfolk, which is a familiar path for a pitcher who has often been shuttled back and forth between the majors and minors since he made his big league debut in 2022.  Vespi has looked pretty solid with a 3.88 ERA in his 53 1/3 career innings in the Show, but his lack of strikeout ability has made him somewhat of a back-of-the-bullpen arm in the Orioles’ eyes.  Vespi has already been promoted and optioned to Triple-A the maximum five times this season.

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