Orioles Minor League Free Agents

[Crazysilver03]

I am taking a stab at who the minor league free agents for the Orioles will be. This obviously doesnt include any players the Orioles may release this offseason.

These are players with 6+ years of minor league experience

Catcher:

Alberto Castillo (Norfolk)

J.R. House (Norfolk)

Ryan Hubele (Norfolk)

Gustavo Molina (Norfolk)

Eli Whiteside (Bowie)

Infielder:

Bryan Bass (Bowie)

Mike Cervenak (Norfolk)

Cesar Crespo (Norfolk)

Bo Hart (Norfolk)

Luis Jiminez (Bowie)

Pete Maestrales (Frederick)

Oscar Salazar (Bowie)

Terry Tiffee (Norfolk)

Eider Torres (Norfolk)

Outfielder:

Matt Cepicky (Bowie)

Jason Dubois (Norfolk)

Kennard Jones (Frederick)

Jon Knott (Norfolk)

Luis Montanez (Bowie)

Arturo Rivas (Frederick)

Bubba Trammell (Aberdeen)

Ruddy Yan (Bowie)

Pitcher:

Oscar Alvarez (Bowie)

Craig Anderson (Norfolk)

Rob Bell (Norfolk)

Francis Beltran (Norfolk)

Rosman Garcia (Bowie)

Steve Green (Norfolk)

Beau Hale (Bowie) (retired)

Ryan Keefer (Bowie) ?

Rommie Lewis (Bowie)

Nick McCurdy (Bowie)

Andy Mitchell (Norfolk)

Cory Morris (Bowie) ?

Carlos Perez (Bowie)

Sendy Rleal (Bowie)

Orlando Roman (Bowie)

Felix Romero (Bowie)

Sean Tracey (Norfolk) ?

Tim Kester (Norfolk)

Victor Moreno (Norfolk)

Richard Salazar (Norfolk) ?

The players with ? have 5.? years of service and I am not sure if they qualify for 6 years or not.

[orioole28]

I am taking a stab at who the minor league free agents for the Orioles will be. This obviously doesnt include any players the Orioles may release this offseason.

These are players with 6+ years of minor league experience

Catcher:

Alberto Castillo (Norfolk)

J.R. House (Norfolk)

Ryan Hubele (Norfolk)

Gustavo Molina (Norfolk)

Eli Whiteside (Bowie)

Infielder:

Bryan Bass (Bowie)

Mike Cervenak (Norfolk)

Cesar Crespo (Norfolk)

Bo Hart (Norfolk)

Luis Jiminez (Bowie)

Pete Maestrales (Frederick)

Oscar Salazar (Bowie)

Terry Tiffee (Norfolk)

Outfielder:

Matt Cepicky (Bowie)

Jason Dubois (Norfolk)

Kennard Jones (Frederick)

Jon Knott (Norfolk)

Luis Montanez (Bowie)

Arturo Rivas (Frederick)

Bubba Trammell (Aberdeen)

Ruddy Yan (Bowie)

Pitcher:

Oscar Alvarez (Bowie)

Craig Anderson (Norfolk)

Rob Bell (Norfolk)

Francis Beltran (Norfolk)

Fredy Deza (Bowie)

Rosman Garcia (Bowie)

Steve Green (Norfolk)

Beau Hale (Bowie) (retired)

Rommie Lewis (Bowie)

Nick McCurdy (Bowie)

Andy Mitchell (Norfolk)

Cory Morris (Bowie) ??

Carlos Perez (Bowie)

Sendy Rleal (Bowie)

Orlando Roman (Bowie)

Felix Romero (Bowie)

Sean Tracey (Norfolk) ??

Tim Kester (Norfolk)

Victor Moreno (Norfolk)

Richard Salazar (Norfolk) ??

The players with ?? have 5.? years of service and I am not sure if they qualify for 6 years or not.

I see some interesting names that the FO needs to make a tough decision on,IMO. There could be more but those in bold are the ones that caught my eye.

[Crazysilver03]

I see some interesting names that the FO needs to make a tough decision on,IMO. There could be more but those in bold are the ones that caught my eye.

J.R. House

Luis Jiminez

Arturo Rivas

Fredy Deza

They are good ones to hopefully keep around. Kennard Jones fell from AAA to A+ this season.

I would also like to keep:

Ryan Hubele

Mike Cervenak

Terry Tiffee

Other than that, everyone is pretty much interchangeable, especially the pitchers.

[JTrea81]

House tried to leave before, so he's history now. Same goes for Knott and Jimenez. Why be loyal to an organization that didn't give you a chance?

[Hot4Him]

Jiminez said himself that the organization doesnt have faith in him. I see that as a sign that he isnt looking to coming back.

[Jammer7]

House has no future with Baltimore as long as Millar is there. House showed he cannot be considered a back-up catcher and would be limited to 1B/DH. He's a solid hitter and person, but no room for a slow guy with no decent position who doesn't hit 20 plus home runs.

As for the rest of the list, which is well done by the way, I'd look at it with three categories in mind. Category A, guys I'd want back as solid contributors. Category B, guys I'd like to bring back to fill out rosters. Category C, guys who I would not seek to bring back and could easily upgrade from.

Category A:

Luis Jimenez - 1B/DH* who can just plain hit. I move him up to AAA and let him DH and play some 1B and see if he can hit for average and power in AAA.

Oscar Salazar - 1B/DH guy who played some 3B, but is considered a poor defender but a step above Jimenez. Another guy who can hit for power and average. We need guys like Jimenez and Salazar to keep pitchers from pitching around Reimold a lot.

Terry Tiffee - 3B# guy who started to hit a little more at the end of the season. 3B is a hole in our system above A-ball and he'd do just fine defensively if he had to fill in in Baltimore.

Luis Montanez - OF who can play CF and may be starting to put it together alittle later than we'd like. I'd give him one more season, especially with the underwhelming performances of Majewski and Fiorentino.

Rob Bell - RHP who can start or relieve well enough he can fill in at ML level. He may even be able to make the roster in April.

Fredy Deza - RHP who has been on the rise.

Category B:

Arturo Rivas OF

Sean Tracey RHP (if healthy)

Richard Salazar LHP

Gus Molina C

Rommie Lewis LHP

Cory Morris RHP (if healthy)

Sendy Rleal RHP (if healthy)

Carlos Perez LHP

Craig Anderson LHP

Jason Dubois OF

Kennard Jones OF*

Victor Moreno RHP

Felix Romero RHP

The rest go to Category C. All of these guys are replaceable obviously, so if there is someone better out there we can grab over the guys on my A list even better.

[Crazysilver03]

Alberto Castillo, J.R. House, Rob Bell, and Victor Santos all granted free agency.

[Crazysilver03]

Eider Torres was outrighted today to Norfolk. He can elect to become a free agent.

Adam Stern was outrighted today to Norfolk. I am not sure if he can become a free agent or not.

Val Majewski was outrighted to Norfolk but he cant become a free agent.

I doubt any of them will be claimed.

Additional

I keep looking up additional info and correcting myself.

Stern only has 5 years of minor league service and because this is his first time being outrighted, he has to stay with the Orioles unless he is claimed.

Majewski only has 4 years of minor league service and because this is his first time being outrighted, he has to stay with the Orioles unless he is claimed. He will be under the Orioles control for 2 more years without wasting his 2nd and 3rd option.

Torres has 6 years of minor league service and will become a minor league free agent if he is not claimed on waivers.

[bigbird]

Eider Torres was outrighted today to Norfolk. He can elect to become a free agent.

Adam Stern was outrighted today to Norfolk. I am not sure if he can become a free agent or not.

Val Majewski was outrighted to Norfolk but he cant become a free agent.

I doubt any of them will be claimed.

Are you sure about Val? I thought once you were removed from the 40 man roster you could opt for free agency.

[Crazysilver03]

Are you sure about Val? I thought once you were removed from the 40 man roster you could opt for free agency.

Typically a player is placed on waivers after being designated for assignment for the purpose of outrighting him to one of the club's minor league teams. A player who is outrighted to the minors is removed from the 40-man roster but is still paid according to the terms of his guaranteed contract. A player can only be outrighted once in his career without his consent. However, a player must clear waivers (that is, no other team may place a waiver claim on the player) to be sent to a minor league team. Also, if the player has five or more full years of major league service, he must give consent to be assigned to the minors. If the player withholds consent, the team must either release him or keep him on the major league roster. In either case, the player must continue to be paid under the terms of his contract.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_for_assignment

Actually, Torres signed as a minor league free agency after never being added to the roster. This is the 1st time that Torres, Stern, and Majewski have been outrighted so all "should" remain with the organization as long as they arent claimed on waivers, which I dont think will happen.

[Crazysilver03]

Scratch Fredy Deza because he was added to the Orioles 40 man roster.

[wildcard]

Scratch Fredy Deza because he was added to the Orioles 40 man roster.

Any opinions??? Putting Deza on the major league roster. Good move or bad move?

[Crazysilver03]

Any opinions??? Putting Deza on the major league roster. Good move or bad move?

I think adding Fredy Deza is a good move. He can be used as a starter or a reliever. His down side is that he did finally reach Bowie after 4 years at Frederick, so he needs to put things together quick.

He was going to be a free agent, so by signing him, they could move him off the 40 man next year and he would have to remain with the organization.

I would expect him to be on a short leash because his numbers arent really that impressive.

[epic]

So is Luis Jimenez pretty much gone?

[Crazysilver03]

So is Luis Jimenez pretty much gone?

He has no reason to stick with an organization that has no faith in him. When he wasnt called up in September, that sent a clear message. Today just reinforced that message when he wasnt added to the 40 man.