Orioles sign 14 players to minor league deals
The Baltimore Orioles have signed 14 players to minor league contracts for the 2018 season. The O's today announced that they have signed C Armando Araiza, RHP Ralston Cash, LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Jeff Ferrell, RHP Jhan Mariñez, INF Angelo Mora, LHP Ryan O'Rourke, C Yojhan Quevedo, 1B Ryan Ripken, LHP
The Baltimore Orioles have signed 14 players to minor league contracts for the 2018 season.
The O's today announced that they have signed C
Araiza, 24, spent the majority of his 2017 campaign with Class-A Frederick, where he hit .238 with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 71 games. He also appeared in five games with the Tides, hitting .353 (6-17) with two RBI.
Cash, 26, split his 2017 season between Double-A Tulsa in the Dodgers system and Double-A Arkansas in the Mariners system. He went 4-2 with a 4.96 ERA in 36 games between the two clubs, registering 65 strikeouts and 20 walks in 49.0 innings of work. He was originally selected by the Dodgers in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft out of Lakeview Academy in Cornelia, GA.
Edgin, who will turn 31 in December, pitched in 46 games out of the New York Mets bullpen in 2017. He posted a 3.65 ERA with the Mets, allowing 39 hits in 37.0 innings of work. He was originally selected by the Mes in the 30th round of the 2010 draft out of Francis Marion University.
Ferrell, 27, spent most of his 2017 season with Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers system, where he was 2-1 with two saves and a 2.51 ERA in 41 appearances for the Mud Hens. He also pitched in 11 games with the Tigers towards the end of the year before missing the final few weeks of the season after being struck in the head with a line drive. The right-hander was originally chosen by the Tigers in the 26th round of the 2010 draft out of Pitt Community College in Winterville, NC.
Mariñez, 29, appeared in 39 big league games between Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Texas last season, posting a 3.91 ERA in 39 appearances. He's pitched to a 3.43 ERA over 95 career big league appearances and has already appeared in the major leagues with six different franchises (TEX, PIT, MIL, TBR, CHW, FLA).
Mora, who will be 25 in February, spent most of his 2017 campaign with Double-A Reading in the Phillies system. He batted .295 with nine home runs and 47 RBI for the Fightin Phils, and he batted .280 over a 27-game stint with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
O'Rourke, 29, missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In 2016, he registered a 3.96 ERA in 26 relief appearances with the Minnesota Twins, striking out 24 while allowing 18 hits in 25.0 innings of work. He was originally selected by Minnesota in the 13th round of the 2010 draft out of Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.
Quevado, 24, played in 101 games with Class-A Clinton in the Mariners system last season. The Venezuelan native batted .273 with seven home runs, 24 doubles and 46 runs batted in.
Ripken, 24, hit .287 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 51 games with Class-A Aberdeen last season. Ripken, the son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., played a season at the University of South Carolina before playing at Indian River Community College. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 15th round of the 2014 draft.
Rodriguez, 26, split his 2017 campaign between Philadelphia and Triple-A Round Rock in the Texas system. He went 1-2 with a 6.33 ERA in 26 relief outings for the Phillies before going 2-0 with a 6.33 ERA in 22 appearances for the Express. He posted a 2.79 ERA in 12 relief outings for Philadelphis in 2016.
Rosa, 28, re-signed with Baltimore after a 2017 campaign that saw him named the Eastern League's MVP. Rosa hit .310 with 14 home runs, 91 RBI and 24 doubles for the Baysox, his fifth season with Double-A Bowie. He originally signed with the Orioles organization as a 17-year old in 2007.
Salcedo, 24, re-signed with the Orioles after spending the entire 2017 season with Double-A Bowie. Primarily a shortstop, the Venezuelan native he hit .260 with five home runs, 16 doubles and 47 runs batted in.
Sardiñas, 24, had an impressive stint with the Tides last season after being acquired off of waivers from the San Diego Padres on May 24th. The switch-hitter batted .319 with five home runs, 10 doubles and 30 RBI in 83 games for Norfolk, playing primarily shortstop and second base. He's played 174 games in the major leagues between San Diego, Seattle, Milwaukee and Texas.
Tejada, 28, has appeared in the major leagues at least once in each of the last eight seasons, including a 41-game stint with Baltimore in 2017. He played in 13 games with Norfolk a year ago, and he's played in the major leagues for four different organizations, including a six-year stint with the New York Mets from 2010 - 2015.
Pitchers and catchers are slated to report for Baltimore's spring training in Sarasota, FL, on February 13th, with position players reporting on February 18th. Baltimore's first spring training game is set for Friday, February 23rd vs. Tampa Bay.