The Orioles introduced they’ve claimed infielder Jacob Amaya off waivers from the White Sox. Chicago had designated him for task final week after they finalized their signing of Josh Rojas to a one-year free agent deal. Baltimore designated righty reliever Roansy Contreras for task to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Amaya is a defensive specialist who can play wherever on the filth. The vast majority of his expertise has come up the center. Amaya has practically 4500 skilled innings at shortstop and greater than 1000 frames at second base. He has made 13 minor league appearances at third base as nicely, although his MLB expertise has been completely within the center infield.
The 26-year-old drew reward from scouts for his athleticism and plus arm energy. He ranked among the many high 30 prospects within the Dodgers system at Baseball America in every season from 2019-22. Los Angeles traded him to the Marlins for veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas on the eve of the ’23 season. BA ranked Amaya as Miami’s #11 prospect (albeit in a weak farm system) as not too long ago as final spring.
Amaya’s offensive upside is proscribed. He has proven a affected person strategy and labored loads of walks within the minor leagues. Amaya has minimal energy, although. MLB pitchers haven’t been afraid to assault him within the strike zone in his restricted massive league work. Amaya has hit .182 with only one extra-base hit (a double) in 81 plate appearances. He has walked solely 4 instances whereas placing out on 29 events.
The middling manufacturing on the dish has led Amaya to bounce round by way of waivers. He has gone from Miami to the Astros to Chicago and now to Baltimore because the begin of final season. Amaya didn’t have a great season in Triple-A, combining for a .221/.308/.330 slash with 5 homers over 76 video games between Miami’s and Houston’s associates.
Baltimore is without doubt one of the most energetic groups on the waiver wire. The Orioles regularly use waivers to churn via the again few spots on their 40-man roster. Amaya is out of minor league choices and has an uphill path to cracking a Baltimore infield that might embody Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo. Third baseman Emmanuel Rivera can also be out of choices. There’s an honest probability the O’s attempt to sneak Amaya via waivers within the subsequent couple months.
That’s a cycle through which Contreras has discovered himself. The previous high prospect has been part of 5 organizations because the begin of the ’24 season. He opened the 12 months with the Pirates, who traded him to the Angels in Could. The out-of-options hurler caught in Ron Washington’s bullpen for the rest of the season. The Halos waived him at first of the offseason. Contreras has subsequently gone to the Rangers, Reds and Orioles by way of waivers however hasn’t held a spot for various weeks. Baltimore simply claimed him final Friday.
For the reason that begin of the 2023 season, Contreras owns a 5.47 earned run common over 136 2/3 innings. His 18.5% strikeout share and 10.5% stroll fee are worse than the respective MLB averages, as is his 1.4 dwelling runs allowed per 9. The efficiency and the lack to ship him to the minors with out placing him on waivers might result in him persevering with to bounce across the league. Contreras has intrigued a couple of groups as a depth arm, as he sits round 95 MPH together with his four-seam fastball and throws six completely different pitches.
