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Austin Wynns

Orioles To Outright Austin Wynns

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The Orioles have outrighted backup catcher Austin Wynns off the 40-man roster, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The team has yet to formally announce the move, but Wynns, who has previously been outrighted off the 40-man roster, will be able to elect free agency.

Wynns, 30, has spent parts of three seasons in a backup capacity with the O’s, appearing in a total of 115 games and batting .216/.255/.326 in 331 trips to the plate. While the offense isn’t much to look at, Wynns has a strong defensive reputation and has been quite adept at thwarting stolen bases, with a 32 percent mark in his career and a particularly impressive 38 percent mark in 2021 (11-for-29).

Catcher figures to be an area of focus for the O’s this offseason, although with top prospect and former No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman on the horizon, they’re not likely to be in the market for a high-profile name. Veteran Pedro Severino is also on the 40-man roster at the moment, but with a projected $3.1MM salary in arbitration, he’s a clear non-tender candidate.

Assuming the club eventually moves on from Severino, the O’s could look to bring in a veteran on a non-guaranteed minor league deal — a frequent tactic for them throughout their ongoing rebuild. It’s possible that could even be Wynns on a new minor league arrangement that doesn’t require a spot on the 40-man roster. The 2013 tenth-rounder has spent his entire career in the Baltimore organization.

Orioles Option Chance Sisco, Select Austin Wynns

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The Orioles made a change to their catching corps today, optioning Chance Sisco to Triple-A and selecting the contract for Austin Wynns, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).

Sisco has shared time behind the plate with Pedro Severino thus far this season. The 26-year-old is having his worst season at the plate since debuting in 2017, slashing .154/.247/.185 across 73 plate appearances.

Wynns, 30, has been a piece of the Orioles’ catching picture for the past couple of seasons, though he did not appear in 2020. Across 2018-19, however, he put up a .239/.271/.339 line in 192 plate appearances.

Richie Martin has also been transferred to the 60-day injured list. The move presumably paves the way for Hunter Harvey’s eventual activation from the 60-day injured list. An oblique strain has kept Harvey from the mound thus far in 2021.

Orioles Claim Ashton Goudeau, Outright Austin Wynns

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The Orioles announced Monday that they’ve claimed righty Ashton Goudeau off waivers from the Pirates and opened a spot on the roster by passing catcher Austin Wynns through outright waivers. Wynns has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk and will no longer count against the 40-man roster after going unclaimed on waivers.

Goudeau, 28, made his Major League debut with the Rockies this past season but totaled just 8 1/3 innings, during which time he allowed seven runs on 15 hits and a pair of walks with only two strikeouts. Those struggles notwithstanding, Goudeau was terrific at the Double-A level in 2019, where he pitched to a 2.07 ERA and 2.05 FIP with 10.5 K/9, 1.4 BB/9, 0.46 HR/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate in 16 starts (78 1/3 innings).

The 29-year-old Wynns is a glove-first backup catcher with a career .239/.271/.339 batting line through 192 plate appearances. He’s posted similar numbers, albeit with a better OBP, in parts of three Triple-A, and it seems he’ll stick around as a depth option for the O’s.

AL East Notes: Jays’ Rotation, Orioles, Rays

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While the Blue Jays weren’t known to be in pursuit of either Madison Bumgarner or Corey Kluber, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet explores how Bumgarner’s deal with Arizona and Kluber’s trade to Texas nevertheless impact Toronto’s search for rotation help. The Dodgers and Angels missed out on both pitchers, leaving both Southern California clubs with an even shorter supply of potential upgrades to ponder. Given the Jays’ interest in Hyun-Jin Ryu, that’s not great news, as both L.A. clubs could now look more aggressively at Ryu. (The same could also be true of the Twins, who also pursued Bumgarner to no avail.) The Blue Jays entered the winter determined to improve their rotation, and while the additions of Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson undeniably help, options that align with GM Ross Atkins’ stated desire for “significant” upgrades are beginning to dwindle.

More from the division…

  • Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde tells Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that catcher Pedro Severino is going to “get a lot of innings behind home plate and get a lot of at-bats next year.” Hyde stopped short of firmly declaring Severino the starter over former top prospect Chance Sisco and defensive-minded Austin Wynns, but the 26-year-old Severino was clearly Baltimore’s best option in 2019, when he slashed .249/.321/.420 in 341 plate appearances. Unlike Sisco and Wynns, he’s also out of minor league options, which should afford him a lengthier leash in the event of some early struggles. Kubatko notes that the O’s are still in the market for some catching depth, although one would imagine that with three backstops already on the 40-man roster, that could simply be a minor league pact for a veteran receiver.
  • After adding Yoshitomo Tsutsugo on a two-year deal, the Rays are still considering countryman Shogo Akiyama as a potential addition, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Akiyama would add another center field option to the fold and likely bring some on-base skills to the table, although he’s also a left-handed hitter and Topkin spends some time focusing on the Rays’ desire to add a right-handed bat to the roster as well. Specifically, the Rays hope to add a right-handed hitter with some defensive versatility — hence the earlier interest in Howie Kendrick — but such options are rather rare in this winter’s free-agent market. Of course, plenty of options could manifest on the trade market; speculatively speaking, the Rays seem like a fine fit for switch-hitting Tigers super utilityman Niko Goodrum.

Orioles Notes: Cashner, Gausman, Joseph

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The Baltimore Orioles are looking for a slew of rotation candidates to push the holdovers in competition for their two to three open slots this winter. John Means and Alex Cobb appear locked into their turns, and Asher Wojciechowski has a spot to lose. MASN’s Roch Kubatko quoted GM Mike Elias recently, on Wojiechowski: “…if the season started today I think he’d absolutely project for a rotation spot if he shows up in good health at spring training.”

Still, from everything Elias has said so far this winter, his primary goal is to add enough pitching depth at the major league level such that they don’t get caught promoting prospects up the totem pole before they’re ready. Baltimorebaseball.com’s Rich Dubroff explores potential retreads, casting Kevin Gausman as likely out of Baltimore’s price range, while he sees an Andrew Cashner reboot as within the realm of possibility. Cashner does check a lot of boxes in that he won’t cost much, he’s good for 150 innings or so a year, and he won’t be cowed by having to wear one here and there for the rebuilding Orioles. The Athletic’s Dan Connolly adds his own list of potential rotation options like Martin Perez, Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly, Chad Bettis, and other reclamation projects of that ilk.

Caleb Joseph is another ex-Oriole who could return. Elias won’t necessarily be drawn to former Orioles the way others in the building might, but he is on the lookout for a veteran backstop to complete their catching quartet. Pedro Severino, 25, is a lock for one roster spot after a mini breakout at the plate that saw him put up a .249/.321/.420 line while starting just over half of Baltimore’s games. Statcast ranked his glovework in the bottom half of the league in both poptime and framing, while by Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average, a -13.8 FRAA mark landed him next to last (Josh Phegley).

Chance Sisco should have a chance to claim the other spot, though his defensive marks didn’t grade out much better (-11.1 FRAA). Austin Wynns rounds out the group as presently constituted, though he spent most of last year in the minors.

The other well-known area of focus simply from the standpoint of needing to roster enough bodies to make it through a 162-game season is the middle infield. Hanser Alberto figures to see significant playing time at second, while Stevie Wilkerson, Dilson Herrera, Pat Valaika, Jose Rondon and Richie Martin make up the contenders, though nobody from that group is guaranteed – or even necessarily favored – to secure an Opening Day roster spot.

Orioles Select Mason Williams, Designate Jace Peterson

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The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of outfielder Mason Williams. To create roster space, infielder Jace Peterson was designated for assignment.

Williams was expected to come onto the active roster for the month of September, but needed to be added to the 40-man. A host of other players that already held 40-man spots are also heading for the big-league dugout: lefty Ty Blach, catcher Austin Wynns, and righties David Hess, Evan Phillips, and Chandler Shepherd.

Once a well-regarded Yankees prospect, the 28-year-old Williams got his first extended chance at the majors last year with the Reds. He produced at close to the league-average rate offensively but was outrighted at season’s end. Williams has spent the entire season to this point with the Orioles’ top affiliate, slashing .308/.371/.477 with 18 home runs in 494 plate appearances.

As for Peterson, he has struggled since the O’s summoned him to help fill out the position-player mix. The six-year MLB veteran carries a .220/.269/.330 batting line in 108 trips to the plate on the season.

Orioles Option Stevie Wilkerson, Austin Wynns

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Following today’s game, the Orioles have optioned INF/OF Stevie Wilkerson and catcher Austin Wynns to Triple-A Norfolk, per an official team release.

While a corresponding move will be officially announced on Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN adds that Chance Sisco will likely rejoin the team to replace Wynns, with Chris Davis in position to come off the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s series opener in Texas.

In 123 plate appearances with the O’s, Wilkerson has posted a .250/.294/.438 slash line. Those are respectable numbers, especially for an inexperienced player on a rebuilding club, but his unimpressive 6:37 K:BB ratio calls for more seasoning in the minors. Meanwhile, Wynns has played just 15 games for the Orioles and has a .529 OPS in 47 plate appearances.

If it’s indeed Sisco who replaces Wynns on the roster, it will mark his 2019 season debut. He started this season in the minors after struggling through 2018 as a rookie; however, it appears that the 24-year-old catcher has turned a corner at Triple-A this year, boasting a robust .288/.381/.528 batting line thus far, a marked improvement over his numbers in previous stints at the level.

As for Davis, who is slated to make his return from the injured list, it’s unclear just how he will fit into the Orioles lineup upon his return to action. Trey Mancini has received the first base reps in Davis’s absence and has excelled with the bat, while the team would like to give promising youngster DJ Stewart an extended opportunity to play right field. And Renato Nunez, who has quietly emerged as one of baseball’s hottest hitters of late, currently occupies the DH spot and has done nothing to warrant a reduction in playing time.

In that aforementioned quartet, the Orioles have no fewer than four offense-heavy corner bats on the roster, a construction that could make it difficult for Brandon Hyde to allocate playing time. Davis, of course, is the highest-paid of the bunch, but perhaps also the least deserving of at-bats, based solely on production. With that in mind, it will be interesting to monitor Hyde’s handling of the 1B/DH logjam, especially as he attempts to navigate the challenges of managing a rebuilding team, striking a balance between youth and incumbent veterans like Davis.

Orioles Select Contract Of Jesus Sucre; Place Cobb, Trumbo On IL

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The Orioles announced a series of transactions today. Catcher Jesus Sucre was selected to the 40-man roster, with outfielder/DH Mark Trumbo being transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear space.

Right-hander Alex Cobb and backstop Austin Wynns each hit the 10-day injured list. The former, who could be of interest to contenders if he throws well in the first half of the season, is dealing with a groin strain. The latter has a strained oblique.

Sucre will pair with just-claimed receiver Pedro Severino behind the dish. Both are known for their glovework but carry subpar bats. Sucre has yet to reach two hundred plate appearances in a given season; in parts of the past six campaigns, he has compiled 654 plate appearances of .223/.259/.308 hitting. The rebuilding O’s are obviously prioritizing defense from their catching unit, which makes for a nice opportunity for both of these players to gain more extensive exposure to major-league pitching.

It had seemed that Trumbo would be able to make an earlier return from the knee surgery he underwent last fall. He made it into six games of spring action, after all. But it seems he’s not going to be ready to go for some time. Like Cobb, he’s playing on a significant contract that the Baltimore organization would no doubt love to shed in some part. But it’s tougher to see a trade path for Trumbo, a bat-only player who hasn’t excelled offensively since re-signing with the O’s.

AL East Notes: Torres, Pomeranz, Davis, Orioles, McKay

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The Yankees will deploy Gleyber Torres in roughly a “50-50” split between second base and shortstop at Triple-A this season, manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters.  Torres has spent the vast majority of his four pro seasons as a shortstop but received some time at second base over the last two seasons and third base in 2017.  One of the game’s top prospects, Torres is expected to make his big league debut at some point this season, and second base could be his ultimate position in New York given Didi Gregorius’ presence at short.  With Gregorius slated for free agency after the 2019 season, however, Torres’ presence gives the Yankees flexibility at both middle infield positions going forward.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • “I felt great. I felt normal,” Drew Pomeranz told media (including the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman) after a 33-pitch simulated throwing session today.  The Red Sox southpaw has missed time with a mild flexor strain and his status for the start of the season is still in question, though today’s result was a good step for Pomeranz.  Between this outing and the positive updates on Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez yesterday, there is a chance Boston could begin the year without having to turn to minor league depth starters Hector Velazquez or Brian Johnson.
  • The Orioles optioned Austin Wynns to Triple-A today, as reported by MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli and others.  Wynns had been competing with Andrew Susac and Chance Sisco for the secondary catcher role, as Caleb Joseph is in line for the bulk of playing time behind the plate.  Sisco is ranked by both MLB.com and Baseball America as the third-best prospect in Baltimore’s system, and has long been considered the Orioles’ catcher of the future.  With that in mind, however, the O’s may prefer to keep Sisco in the minors for now in order to give him everyday at-bats rather than limit him to a part-time role.
  • As also noted in Ghiroli’s piece, Chris Davis made his return to the Orioles’ lineup today after a two-week absence due to a forearm injury.  Davis is tentatively scheduled to play in a minor league game tomorrow, assuming he feels ready to go.  Despite losing a good chunk of the spring to the injury, Davis is still expected to be ready for Opening Day.
  • Both the Rays and Brendan McKay are intent on seeing if the top prospect can reach the big leagues as a two-way player, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times outlines how McKay and the team are preparing and managing his workload for this unique challenge.  McKay, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft, is thus far considered to be more polished as a pitcher, according to both the Rays and rival scouts.  A decision may eventually have to be made about McKay’s position at some point in the future, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards anytime soon.  “This is absolutely no gimmick. This is for real,” Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said.  “This is every day, seven days a week that we’re getting Brendan McKay prepared to take on a full season and do both, as a starting pitcher and first baseman, with some DH.”

AL East Notes: Bradley Jr., Yankees, Frazier, Orioles

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The Dodgers approached the Red Sox earlier this offseason about a trade that would’ve sent Yasiel Puig to Boston in exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The Sox, valuing Bradley’s elite glove and extra year of control (three years to Puig’s two), “quickly” declined the offer, and talks between the two sides never went beyond that stage. As Speier points out, however, the scenario is instructive when gauging the Red Sox’ valuation of Bradley, who is coming off a relatively disappointing season at the plate. Puig’s .263/.346/.487 slash and 28 homers dwarfed Bradley’s .245/.323/.402 output and 17 homers, but the Sox (who’ve been searching all offseason for an offensive upgrade), seemingly gave little consideration to the notion. Bradley’s name has been oft-speculated upon in various trade scenarios by fans and pundits alike, but it doesn’t seem as though the Boston brass views him in that light; president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski has said at multiple points this winter that he’s in no rush to deal Bradley, Speier adds.

More out of the AL East…

  • The Yankees checked back in with the Orioles on Manny Machado this week, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, but the O’s have yet to receive an offer from any team that is close to what they’d hope to receive for Machado. The Yankees remain interested in Machado, though, believing that they have a legitimate chance to sign him long-term (even without an extension window being granted). The O’s reportedly want a pair of MLB-ready pitchers for Machado, though Heyman notes that third base prospect Miguel Andujar intrigues Baltimore to some degree. For now, Andujar is viewed as the Yankees’ starter at third base, though Heyman adds that the Yanks are exploring a number of avenues in the infield; in addition to Machado, they’ve shown interest in the Pirates’ Josh Harrison and are keeping tabs on the free-agent market in case Todd Frazier’s asking price drops to one year.
  • ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand writes that the Yankees would indeed “love” to bring Frazier back into the mix, but the organization has some reservations about his asking price (both in dollars and years). At present, the Yanks are poised to head into the season with Andujar at third base and one of Ronald Torreyes, Gleyber Torres or Tyler Wade at second base. “We are currently set up to go this route, unless something presents itself between now and whenever that gives us a change of position,” GM Brian Cashman tells Marchand. Certainly, that suggests that Cashman & Co. are yet open to additions, and Marchand calls it a “pretty good bet” that the Yankees will add an infielder to the mix before the offseason concludes.
  • “Too many people” are assuming that Chance Sisco is a lock to open the year as the Orioles’ starting catcher, reports MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. (I’m guilty as charged on that front, having referenced him as the likely starter on multiple occasions.) Per Kubatko, 26-year-old Austin Wynns has a “legitimate” chance to break camp with the team thanks largely to his defensive prowess. If that happens, then the O’s would seemingly take Wynns and Caleb Joseph north to open the year while giving Sisco additional development time in Triple-A Norfolk. The O’s are also still in the market for a veteran catcher, which could prove to be either a starting-caliber option or a backup to vie for a spot alongside Sisco and Wynns. Kubatko notes that some in the organization are intrigued by the Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto, though it’s difficult to imagine the O’s coming up with the type of package that’d beat the field for Realmuto when Miami has been targeting pitching prospects in other trades.
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