2019 Baltimore Orioles: Notable Additions, Subtractions, & Re-Signings

Fresh off a 47-win season in 2018, the Baltimore Orioles rebuild begins! Here, we’ll look into the fresh faces that could potentially roam Camden Yards in 2019, as well as the familiar faces we’ll no longer see.

As of Feb. 16, Baltimore has 63 players set to report to spring training (40-man roster + 23 non-roster invitees).

Notable 2019 Baltimore Orioles Additions, Subtractions & Re-Signings

Notable Additions:

–Alcides Escobar, SS (minor league contract, spring training invite)

• 2018 team: Kansas City
• Escobar is a former All-Star (’15) and World Series champion (’15) that signed a minor league deal on Feb. 16.
• Production has dipped recently (-0.7 WAR, .231 BA in ’18)
• Though he joins a ton of other infielders in O’s camp, it would be nice to have some recognizable names around.

–Eric Young Jr., OF (minor league contract, spring training invite)

• 2018 team: LA Angels
• Young is a former NL stolen base champ (’13) that signed a minor league deal on Feb. 11.
• Still has speed (17 SB in his last 88 MLB games)
• Never great at the plate
• Great clubhouse guy

–Nate Karns, SP (MLB free agent signing)

• 2018 team: Kansas City
• Karns is Baltimore’s lone MLB free agent signing (one-year, $800k + incentives)
• Missed all of ’18
• Best season came in 2015 (7-5 W/L in 26 starts, 3.67 ERA)

–Christopher Bostick, UTL (minor league contract, spring training invite)

• 2018 team: Miami/Pittsburgh
• Bostick signed a minor league deal on Nov. 14.
• Hit .256 in 50 MLB PA’s (’17-’18)
• Hit .292 in Triple-A in ’18

–Carlos Perez, C  (minor league contract, spring training invite)

• 2018 team: Atlanta/Texas
• Perez signed a minor league deal on Jan. 7.
• Token No. 2 catcher w/plenty MLB experience
• Career .215 hitter across four MLB seasons (’15-’18)

–Hanser Alberto, IF(waiver claim, 40-man)

• 2018 team: Texas
• Alberto was claimed off waivers in January
• Crushed Triple-A pitching in ’18 (.330 BA, .797 OPS)
• Struggled in 192 career MLB plate appearances (.192 BA, .440 OPS)

–Gregory Infante, LHP  (minor league contract, spring training invite)

• 2018 team: Chicago (AL)
• Infante signed a minor league deal on Jan. 7.
• Went seven years between MLB appearances (first MLB season, 2010; second MLB season, 2017)
• Career MLB ERA is solid (3.56)

–Brandon Hyde, Man. (first-year manager)

• 2018 team: Chicago
• In charge of O’s rebuild
• Interim manager for one game in ’11 (0-1 record w/Marlins)
• World Series champ (’16 w/Cubs; 1B Coach)

Notable Subtractions:

–Tim Beckham, SS (Seattle)
–Adam Jones, OF (Current FA, likely won’t get re-sign w/O’s)
–Craig Gentry, OF (San Francisco)
–Pedro Alvarez, 1B/3B (Miami)
–Caleb Joseph, C (Arizona)
–Buck Showalter, Man. (unsigned)

Notable Re-Signings:

–Jonathan Villar, 2B (one-year, $4.825 million)
–Dylan Bundy, SP (one-year, $2.8 million)
–Mychal Givens, RHP
–Sean Gilmartin, LHP (minor-league deal, spring training invite)
–Gabriel Ynoa, RHP (minor-league deal, spring training invite)  
–Jace Peterson, UTIL (minor-league deal, spring training invite)   

Per Spotrac, Baltimore has just eight players with locked-in salaries for 2019, totaling $61.6 million. Even when they officially fill out their roster, you can expect their payroll to be near the bottom of the MLB — most remaining contracts will be under $600k.

UPDATED: Feb. 16

Photo Credit: Keith Allison [CC BY-SA 2.0], from Flickr