When the Orioles signed Albert Suárez out of Korea in September 2023, barely anyone knew what they had.
The ballclub was amid a heated race for the American League East’s top spot, and Baltimore fans and media were more focused on whether the Orioles could stave off the Tampa Bay Rays than what the organization saw in a journeyman veteran who last pitched in the majors in 2017.
But five months later, Suárez was in major league spring training competing for a roster spot. Two months after that, he was back in the big leagues and never left, helping keep the Orioles’ injury-filled rotation afloat. After going 2,395 days away from the major leagues, Suárez delivered eight scoreless starts, ranking second in the AL and tied for the third most in a single season in Orioles history.
Suárez came out of nowhere in 2024, and he’s far from the first diamond in the rough the Orioles have found. In 2023, Yennier Cano, Danny Coulombe and Ryan O’Hearn were under-the-radar additions who proved pivotal for that team.
Is it possible the next Suárez — or the next Cano or Coulombe or O’Hearn — was added by the team this offseason?
Here are seven under-the-radar offseason additions by the Orioles and how they could make an impact, starting in spring training as nonroster invitees:
Right-hander Nathan Webb
Webb was brought in two offseasons ago with the plan that he would be healthy for the 2025 season, and this spring might be his time to show off his big arm.
Heading into the 2022 season, Webb was an intriguing relief prospect in the Kansas City Royals’ system with a fastball that touched 100 mph and a whopping 37.7% strikeout rate in the lower minors the previous year. He pitched so well that the Royals added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but he struggled in 2022 and underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2023.
The Orioles signed him to a two-year minor league contract after the 2023 campaign, and he spent all of 2024 rehabbing his elbow. Webb will almost certainly begin the season in the minor leagues, but if he’s healthy and returns to his 2021 form, he could be an option to join the Orioles’ bullpen later in the season.
Right-hander Thaddeus Ward
Ward’s numbers in 2024 (or 2023) don’t inspire much confidence about his ability to make an impact with the Orioles this season. But the Orioles clearly see something in the 28-year-old after they claimed him from the Washington Nationals this offseason and snuck him through waivers.
Ward posted a 5.64 ERA in 119 2/3 innings with only 13 more strikeouts than walks in Triple-A last season. The year before, he posted a 6.37 ERA in 26 relief appearances. But early in his minor league career, Ward displayed plus swing-and-miss stuff, posting strikeout rates of 29.9% and 30.9% in 2019 and 2021, respectively, as a member of the Boston Red Sox organization.
If the Orioles can get Ward back to being that pitcher, perhaps he can play a role in their bullpen in 2025.
Right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo
The Orioles signed Hiraldo, a former Arizona Diamondbacks farmhand, to a minor league deal this offseason. He put up solid numbers in the lower minors with the Diamondbacks, but he was released in March 2022 and has spent the past three seasons playing in the independent Atlantic League and in Mexico.
The 29-year-old struck out 32.3% of batters in the Atlantic League, considered baseball’s top independent league, in 2022, and in 61 2/3 innings over the past two seasons, he’s posted a 2.19 ERA.
Utilityman Nick Gordon
Of the Orioles’ 27 nonroster invitees to spring training, none have more MLB experience than Gordon, who has played 338 games and made more than 1,000 plate appearances in the big leagues.
A former first-round draft pick, Gordon has struggled to reach his potential. In 2022, he was a solid player for the Minnesota Twins with a 1.7 wins above replacement and a .743 OPS. But he was one of the majors’ worst players in 2024 with the Miami Marlins with a .627 OPS and worth minus-1.7 WAR.
He could be a utilityman option for the Orioles should the need arise. He’s played all three outfield spots as well as second, third and shortstop in the majors.
Outfielder Franklin Barreto
Another former top prospect with defensive versatility, Barreto signed with the Orioles this offseason after he dominated in Mexico last year.
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Barreto, 28, was once a highly touted prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays, who sent him to the Oakland Athletics in the Josh Donaldson trade a decade ago. He reached the majors with the Athletics and Los Angeles Angels and owns a career .175 batting average in 228 at-bats.
Barreto, a right-handed hitter, played middle infield early in his career, but he was mostly an outfielder in Mexico while hitting .343 with a 1.006 OPS.
Outfielder Jordyn Adams
Adams is also a former top prospect, as the speedster was drafted 17th overall in 2018 by the Angels. With 80-grade speed and plus outfield defense, Adams could be an option for a bench outfield spot if injuries befall the Orioles again.
Adams has struggled to hit for most of his professional career, posting only a .710 OPS in the minors and a .421 OPS in 78 MLB plate appearances. But he’s swiped 72 bases over the past two seasons in Triple-A.
Utilityman Terrin Vavra
Vavra is a familiar name as a member of the Orioles in 2022 and 2023. After spending most of 2024 in Baltimore’s minor league system, he elected free agency this offseason but signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with the Orioles.
Vavra’s minor league numbers as a prospect were encouraging, and he earned a call-up in 2022 and a spot on Baltimore’s opening day roster in 2023. The left-handed hitter is a career .293 hitter in the minors but has a .636 OPS in limited MLB time. Over the past two seasons, Vavra has battled several injuries that have diminished his performance at the plate. If healthy, he could be a viable depth piece in Triple-A who could earn a call-up if an injury to an Oriole occurs.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
