Orioles claim 26 yo LHP Brandon Waddell on waivers from the Twins

[SteveA]

To make room on the 40 man roster, Jay Flaa is DFA'd.

Waddell assigned to Norfolk.

Waddell was a 5th round pick out of UVa by the Pirates on 2015.

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2021/05/orioles-claim-waddell-off-waivers-and-dfa-flaa.html

 

[wildcard]

Waddell has 2 option left.

[Aristotelian]

What are the chances of Flaw sticking with the team? I am a little surprised to see him DFA.

[wildcard]

4 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

What are the chances of Flaw sticking with the team? I am a little surprised to see him DFA.

He should pass through waiver and accept an assignment to Norfolk. He is 28 and has a 5.56 ERA at AAA.   I think this is the first time he will be outrighted so he is required to accept the assignment to AAA if he is not claimed.

[ChosenOne21]

Not sure what they see with Waddell. Only scouting report I can find on the guy is from like three years ago and calls him a "four-pitch pitchability lefty who has trouble commanding his pitches." His professional walk rate is like 5-something.

[bpilktree]

6 minutes ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Not sure what they see with Waddell. Only scouting report I can find on the guy is from like three years ago and calls him a "four-pitch pitchability lefty who has trouble commanding his pitches." His professional walk rate is like 5-something.

He throws with his left hand would be my guess.

[wildcard]

11 minutes ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Not sure what they see with Waddell. Only scouting report I can find on the guy is from like three years ago and calls him a "four-pitch pitchability lefty who has trouble commanding his pitches." His professional walk rate is like 5-something.

He been good at AA.  Not so good at AAA.  Holt and company must see something they think they can fix.

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, wildcard said:

He been good at AA.  Not so good at AAA.  Holt and company must see something they think they can fix.

Or they think they can add an arm to eat some innings and keep Flaa in the system.

Not everyone is a candidate for an Extreme Arm Makeover.

[SteveA]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

Or they think they can add an arm to eat some innings and keep Flaa in the system.

Not everyone is a candidate for an Extreme Arm Makeover.

Even if they lose Flaa, in a vacuum they have traded a 28 year old RHP with mediocre minor league numbers for a 26 year old LHP with mediocre minor league numbers.   

[wildcard]

12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Or they think they can add an arm to eat some innings and keep Flaa in the system.

Not everyone is a candidate for an Extreme Arm Makeover.

There is not reason to claim a pitcher with a 5.56 ERA at AAA if they don't think they can improve him.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

There is not reason to claim a pitcher with a 5.56 ERA at AAA if they don't think they can improve him.

They want to keep payroll down and delay starting as many service time clocks as they can.  You need cheap arms to eat innings to do that.

Holt and company aren't Rumpelstiltskin, they are not capable of weaving straw into gold.  Frankly they have more important things to be working on. 

[HowAboutThat]

6 hours ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Not sure what they see with Waddell. Only scouting report I can find on the guy is from like three years ago and calls him a "four-pitch pitchability lefty who has trouble commanding his pitches." His professional walk rate is like 5-something.

Tanner Scott with lower velocity?