Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Elects to Hit Free Agency
Earlier in the offseason, the Baltimore Orioles made their first move by picking up an outfielder from the Atlanta Braves.
Despite having an already crowded outfield, this acquisition ensured that they would have depth, even if they decide to start trading some of their current pieces.
The Orioles had to designate Joey Krehbiel for assignment following this move to make room on the 40-man roster.
Roch Kubatko of MASN reported that the reliever declined the outright assignment and has elected to hit free agency instead.
Baltimore claimed Krehbiel off of waivers in 2021 after the Tampa Bay Rays designated him for assignment. He appeared in five games for the Orioles that season and then made the Opening Day roster prior to the start of 2022.
The reliever was a major part of Baltimore's bullpen in 2022, appearing in 56 games and posting an ERA of 3.90 across 57 2/3 innings pitched.
This past season, Krehbiel wasn't in the picture for the Orioles.
After making the Opening Day roster a year ago, he was optioned to the Triple-A affiliate before the 2023 season.
That was the story of his year.
Krehbiel pinballed back and forth between Baltimore's Major League roster and the minor leagues. He only appeared in six games for the Orioles this past season and was not on the playoff roster.
Hitting free agency will allow him to see if there is a market for him as an MLB reliever.
He proved some capability as a low-leverage bullpen piece in 2022 before being relegated to a minor league role by Baltimore.
This won't be the biggest news that impacts the Orioles this offseason, but could signal that they'll be looking for more bullpen arms following Krehbiel's decision.