Arrivals and Departures on Orioles 40 man – 4/7/2013

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Jon Shepherd

If you followed my writing over at Camden Depot, then you know that I compile a great deal of information.  One of those efforts is on the Orioles’ 40 man roster and options remaining for each player.  It helps to know this information because it can inform you on the flexibility of the current 40 man roster and how the team might make moves to improve their active roster of 25.  First though, I’d like to run down some basic points on options:

• When a contract is purchased, a player can be optioned to the minors three times (unless player was signed an MLB contract under the pre-2012 draft rules then he has 4 total options or if an “amateur” international free agent is signed to a MLB contract–most established amateur players like Wei-Yin Chen will negotiate for teams to not be able to use options).
• An option counts as expended if the player spends more than 20 days in the minors based on that assignment.  (you may notice that Yamaico Navarro was optioned in March, but that option is not listed because he was recalled before he was able to serve enough time in the minors)
• Only one option can be expended each season, but a player can be sent up and down between the Majors and Minors as many times as possible in that season under that option.
• Players who have options remaining and more than 5 years of MLB experience must give consent to an option being used.
• A Rule 5 player cannot be sent to the minors (unless on injury rehabilitation) the year he was draft.  The following year, all remaining options will be available for the parent club to utilize.

If you have any further questions about this issue or other baseball related issues, feel free to email us at Jon.Shepherd@baltimoresportsandlife.com.

Recent Transactions:

April 4, 2013 – Josh Stinson is claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics and assigned to Norfolk.
April 5, 2013 – Yamaico Navarro’s option is no longer activated as he is recalled to replace Brian Roberts who was placed on the 15 day disabled list.
April 6, 2013 – Yamaico Navarro’s option is now dated at April 6th as he is optioned to Norfolk in order to activate Chris Tillman from the disabled list.

Josh Stinson, RHP
As a 24 year old, Stinson split his time in 2012 between AA Huntsville and with their parent club, Milwaukee.  The ERAs looked nice (3.16 and 0.96, respectively), but that was paired with poor strikeout, walk, and groundball rates.  Those issues led to foreboding SIERA marks (4.87 and 6.01, respectively).  In the minors, he can be used in the pen or in the rotation (which is where he will start in Norfolk).  His four seamer is a low 90s offering with not much movement.  His two seamer clocks in at 90 and does not induce a great many ground balls.  His slider and curve flash with potential, but he is not consistent with them.  Stinson best profiles as a potential middle reliever.

In the graphic below, you will notice a few designations.  First, it is color coordinated.  Red means an option is spent, green means the option has not been touched, yellow means the option is currently engaged and able to be used this year.  A “5″ designates a player who was acquired in the previous Rule 5 draft and cannot be sent down without an accompanying trade with the players’ parent club before being selected.  A “|” designates the understanding that there is an agreement between the club and the player that the player will not appear in the minors except with the player’s permission or due to an injury rehabilitation assignment.