The Orioles have traded third basemen Josh Bell to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. He was designated for assignment by the Orioles earlier this week to make room for catcher Luis Exposito.
Bell, 25, hit .200/.221/.264 in 221 PA with the Orioles. He is best known for being the main piece of the trade that sent Closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Orioles announced they have claimed 3B Zelous Wheeler off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Orioles designated Dana Eveland for assignment to make room.
Wheeler, 25, was optioned to AAA after being claimed. He has a career .271/.371/.408 batting line in five minor league seasons.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20 | Helena | PION | Rk | MIL | 59 | 224 | 190 | 36 | 57 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 41 | .300 | .398 | .411 | .809 |
| 2008 | 21 | West Virginia | SALL | A | MIL | 137 | 576 | 503 | 80 | 130 | 31 | 2 | 13 | 87 | 13 | 11 | 61 | 105 | .258 | .346 | .406 | .751 |
| 2009 | 22 | Brevard County | FLOR | A+ | MIL | 125 | 494 | 410 | 50 | 110 | 23 | 3 | 7 | 64 | 13 | 3 | 60 | 78 | .268 | .370 | .390 | .760 |
| 2010 | 23 | Huntsville | SOUL | AA | MIL | 135 | 569 | 480 | 76 | 132 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 65 | 8 | 4 | 70 | 77 | .275 | .382 | .396 | .778 |
| 2011 | 24 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AA-AAA | MIL | 82 | 329 | 279 | 41 | 76 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 57 | .272 | .378 | .459 | .837 |
| 2011 | 24 | Huntsville | SOUL | AA | MIL | 65 | 268 | 228 | 34 | 62 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 7 | 0 | 30 | 49 | .272 | .377 | .465 | .842 |
| 2011 | 24 | Nashville | PCL | AAA | MIL | 17 | 61 | 51 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | .275 | .383 | .431 | .815 |
| 5 Seasons | 538 | 2192 | 1862 | 283 | 505 | 106 | 10 | 43 | 277 | 43 | 19 | 255 | 358 | .271 | .371 | .408 | .779 | |||||
Baseball America posted their top 100 prospects today, which included three Orioles.
They ranked Dylan Bundy #10, Manny Machado #11, and Jonathan Schoop #82.
Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE has issued the following statement regarding Seong-Min Kim.
“On behalf of the Orioles organization, I offer a sincere apology to the Korea Baseball Organization and the Korea Baseball Association for the club’s unintentional breach of protocol in failing to tender a status check in the process of signing Seong-Min Kim. The Orioles respect Major League Baseball’s recruiting policies and the governing bodies and people that contribute to the growth of baseball around the world.”
The Orioles have reached an agreement with RHP Luis Ayala, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. The move is still pending a physical.
Ayala, 34, struggled for a few seasons before having a resurgent season in 2011. He posted a 2-2 record with a 2.09 ERA, 4.19 FIP, and a 4.15 xFIP in 56.0 innings for the Yankees last season. He has a career record of 31-41 with a 3.47 ERA in seven seasons with the Expos, Nationals, Mets, Marlins, Twins, and Yankees.
The move is expected to be a major league deal, which means the Orioles will have to free a spot on the 40-man roster.
It is a one year deal worth $925K, with a 2013 option worth $1M and a $100K buyout, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
The Orioles have agreed to minor league deal with catcher Dane Sardinha, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
Sardinha, 32, has a career batting line of .166/.243/.265 in six seasons with the Reds, Tigers, and Phillies. He posted a .219/.419/.250 batting line in 43 plate appearances for the Phillies last season.
The Orioles are close to signing first basemen Nick Johnson to a minor league deal, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports.
Johnson, 33, has a career batting line of .270/.401/.443 in nine seasons with the Yankees, Nationals, and Marlins. He last played in the majors in 2010, when he posted a .167/.388/.306 batting line in only 98 plate appearances for the Yankees.
Johnson has always been known as an on-base machine, as indicated by his career .401 OBP. However, he has always been an injury prone player. He has only played over 135 games in a season once (147 in 2006 with the Nationals).
The Orioles have agreed to terms with former Athletic Jeff Larish, according to Jane Lee of MLB.com.
Larish has hit .224/.308/.360 across three major league seasons.
The Orioles have signed LHP Casey Fossum to a minor league deal, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
Fossum, 34, has not pitched in the majors since 2009 with the Mets. He has a career record of 40-53 with a 5.45 ERA, 1.517 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, and a 7.0 K/9.
Fossum posted an 0-4 record with a 6.56 ERA, and a 1.738 WHIP in 35.2 innings for the Mets AAA team in 2011.
He was drafted in the 7th round of the 1996 draft by the Diamondbacks. Buck Showalter was a part of the team then. He was later drafted by the Red Sox in the 1st round of the 1999 draft. Dan Duquette was their GM at the time.
The Orioles today announced that they have signed LHP SEONG-MIN KIM from South Korea to a minor league contract.
Born April 26, 1994, Kim is a 5-foot, 11-inch, 180-pound left-hander that throws a fastball, curveball, change up, and slider. He had been pitching for the 18 and under South Korean national team.
“We are glad to sign a player that our scouts feel is one of the top amateur left-handed pitchers in South Korea,” said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE. “Kim has an excellent curveball and very good control.”
