Orioles add two relievers in Triple-A Rule 5 draft (updated again)

The Orioles made two selections in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft to bring the roster to a full 38, again relying on analytic data to improve their relief depth.

They had the first overall pick and used it on sidearming right-hander Nolan Hoffman of the Mariners organization. They also chose right-hander Cole Uvila from the Rangers in the second round.

Hoffman, 24, was a fifth round draft pick in 2018 out of Texas A&M. He hasn't pitched above high Single-A.

Hoffman has posted a 2.88 ERA and 1.067 WHIP in 67 games (two starts). He's allowed only two home runs and struck out 85 batters in 84 1/3 innings.

Pitching for two Single-A affiliates this summer, Hoffman registered a 3.53 ERA and 1.059 WHIP in 37 games totaling 51 innings. He allowed 40 hits, walked 14 batters and struck out 55.

Hoffman brings a high ground ball rate.

"We're excited to welcome Nolan to our organization," said director of pro scouting Mike Snyder. "After his 2019 Tommy John surgery, we were encouraged with the progress he made in 2021. He has a history of limiting walks and is a groundball artist with a knack for inducing weak contact, really an outlier in this respect across the league. He presents a very difficult look, especially for right-handed hitters, and is a competitor who shows some personality on the mound.

"When Nolan transferred to Texas A&M from Hutchinson Community College in 2018, he struggled that fall, which led to him dropping down to a sidearm slot. He then went out and dominated SEC baseball his junior spring, ending up pitching very meaningful innings as the closer and earning every bit of his fifth-round selection. That rise in his draft stock and that overhaul of mechanics speaks to his adaptability and resilience, and we're excited to get to know him better in our organization.

"Pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, and we feel he adds an intriguing dimension to our minor league system."

Uvila was a 40th round pick in 2018 out of Georgia Gwinnett College who turns 28 in January. He had a 2.90 ERA, 1.226 WHIP and eight saves in 31 innings at Double-A Frisco this summer and a 9.53 ERA and 2.206 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock.

Uvila has made 96 relief appearances and posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.227 WHIP with 203 strikeouts in 150 innings. He's surrendered only seven home runs.

The 12-6 curveball produces one of the highest spin rates in baseball and earned Uvila, a product of Driveline Baseball, the nickname "Spin-Rate Monster."

"We've been attracted to Cole Uvila for three or four years now, envisioning him as a multi-pitch reliever," Snyder said. "He's a late bloomer, the rare 24-year-old draftee who had bounced around a number of amateur programs and had overcome elbow surgery before really taking off in his pro debut in 2018. He shows a real feel for pitch design, overhauling his repertoire in a number of ways the last several years. He has a penchant for generating movement on all his secondaries and he's knowledgeable about what he wants to achieve on the mound.

"We're hopeful that we can help him harness the bat-missing ability to help achieve sustainable success. We know he has the ability, we know he puts the work in and we know we have the right infrastructure in our player development group to support him."

Fifty-one selections were made today and the Orioles didn't lose any players.

Update: The Orioles acquired right-hander Tommy Wilson from the Mariners for cash considerations. Seattle claimed him from the Mets earlier today in the Rule 5 draft.

Wilson, 25, was the Mets' 19th-round pick in 2018 out of Cal State-Fullerton. He had a 2.35 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 10 relief appearances this summer with Double-A Binghamton, striking out 18 batters in 15 1/3 innings. Opponents batted .182 against him.

Wilson is 10-7 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 42 career games, including 21 starts.

His father is actor Thomas Wilson, who played Biff Tannen in the "Back to the Future" movies.