Every team passed on the opportunity to claim outfielder Jhonkensy Noel on waivers, which enabled the Orioles to outright him to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. A relatively small roster move that kept “Big Christmas” in the organization.
Is it a big deal?
How he’d fit on an Opening Day roster isn’t apparent. It’s downright confusing.
A corner outfielder/first baseman with a minus-1.4 bWAR last season doesn’t necessarily fill a need. It’s more about the intrigue that comes from his raw power and the organizational perception that he can be fixed after slashing .193/.242/.401 in 136 games with the Guardians and striking out 115 times.
There’s a tremendous amount of trust in the hitting philosophies and instruction, and the Orioles added two new coaches in Dustin Lind and Brady North. We also can assume that new manager Craig Albernaz put in a good word after serving as Guardians bench coach for the past two seasons.
Noel is only 24 but he’s out of options. The Orioles succeeded in removing him from the 40-man roster, the best possible outcome. Work with him and have no obligations to carry him.
They can invite Noel to spring training and see whether he’s able to force his way onto the roster or provide more outfield depth.
His chances of being in the majors on March 26 might hinge on whether president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias makes any trades that create room.
Among the players on the 40-man roster are outfielders Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras, Heston Kjerstad and Reed Trimble, and infielder/outfielder Jeremiah Jackson. Marco Luciano was designated for assignment yesterday.
Will Robertson was outrighted to Norfolk this week and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is a former first-round draft pick who’s ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 4 prospect in the system and made the climb to Triple-A last summer. His debut is nearing.
Sixteen different players were used in the outfield in 2025. The Orioles needed a franchise-record 70 players to get through a last-place season.
Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are the only catchers on the 40-man roster, but yesterday’s signing of Sam Huff to a minor league contract improves the depth that also includes Maverick Handley and Silas Ardoin in Norfolk.
Huff is out of options and would have to clear waivers and be outrighted if the Orioles selected his contract and tried to send him down.
Left-hander José Suarez was a waiver claim yesterday from the Braves and, yes, he’s also out of options.
The bullpen candidates don’t provide much flexibility. Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns, Rico Garcia, Albert Suárez and Colin Selby can’t be optioned. Suárez signed a minor league deal.
Yennier Cano, Kade Strowd, Grant Wolfram, Yaramil Hiraldo and Jose Espada have two options and shuttle potential.
* Koby Perez, the Orioles’ vice president of international scouting and operations, said yesterday that everything is “business as usual except that there’s some uncertainty with what will happen” following the U.S. military strike on Venezuela earlier this month and the capture of incumbent president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
“I think that’s the concern we have with our staff and our players is uncertainty that we don’t know what’s going to happen. But as of now it’s been business as usual,” he said.
“We’ve already brought in Venezuelan players to the Dominican and the U.S. to get started on their year.”
* Perez was asked which of his international signings could be next to debut in the majors following Basallo in August. He singled out infielder Aron Estrada, 21, who’s ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 22 prospect in the system, and left-hander Luis De León, 22, who’s ranked 18th.
“I feel pretty good about a group of them,” he said. “Aron Estrada is a player who, he’s always performed, and every level he’s performed in, he’s been young for the level, but he’s performed very good for the level. He got a taste of Double-A and performed, as he usually does.
“You talk about a switch-hitting second baseman that has a lot of athleticism, can play different positions. That’s a good bet.
“From the pitching side, Luis De León is a left-handed starter who has shown a lot of good stuff and has all the ingredients to be a premium pitcher in the major leagues. And he did get a taste of Double-A, as well.
“I think those two guys can be there quickly, even as soon as this year.”
* Perez also said the Orioles will continue to field two Dominican Summer League teams.
“I think everyone in this organization thinks it’s the best move,” he said.
“Obviously, we signed a lot of shortstops we hold over from the year before. We signed a lot of catchers, we signed a lot of center fielders. So a lot of times you want these kids to play the premium position and learn how to play the premium position, and that gives us the best opportunity to put the kids in the right places and give them repetitions at these places. And usually the cream will rise to the top, and that’s the way it’s gone for us.”