Well-Traveled Former Baltimore Orioles Reliever Heading for Waivers Again

For the fourth time this year, a former Baltimore Orioles third-round pick is heading to the waiver wire.

May 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Baumann (53) throws a eighth inning pitch against the New York Yankeesat Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The long and winding road for former Baltimore Orioles reliever Mike Baumann continued on Friday as the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment, per the MLB transaction wire.

It will be the fourth time this season the 28-year-old right-hander and former third-round pick of the Orioles has been designated for assignment.

Now that he’s heading for waivers, other MLB teams will have an opportunity to claim him. But because he is over the two-year service time threshold he will have to be placed on a 40-man roster.

He’s never actually cleared waivers. In all three cases earlier this season he was traded.

When the Orioles DFA’ed him on May 18, they traded him four days later to the Seattle Mariners. Baltimore sent Baumann and catcher Michael Perez to the Mariners for catcher Blake Ford.

He lasted until July 19 with the Mariners before they DFAed him. Three days later Seattle traded him to the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants DFA’ed him five days later and then traded him to the Angels, where he made 10 appearances. Los Angeles DFA’ed him for another reliever, Ryan Zeferjahn.

Baumann was a surprising DFA when the Orioles put him out there for other teams, but the O’s needed the roster space to activate starter Grayson Rodriguez from the 15-day injured list.

He was on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster and turned in a solid performance in relief, as he went 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 appearances. He struck out 16 and walked nine in 18.1 innings.

He’s now 3-0 with a 5.24 ERA this season, with his ERA inflated by one outing with the Giants in which he gave up three hits and two earned runs in 0.2 innings of work.

Baumann had a terrific season in 2023, when the Orioles won the American League East. He went 10-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 60 appearances. He struck out 61 and walked 33 in 64.2 innings.

After three years with Jacksonville University, the Orioles made the Mahtomedi, Minn., native their third-round pick in 2017.

He worked his way up to the Majors in 2021, when he made his MLB debut with the Orioles and grew into a reliable reliever.

He finished his time with Baltimore with 94 appearances, which included a 13-5 record and a 4.45 ERA with 105 strikeouts and 57 walks with 127.1 innings. In his four MLB seasons he is 15-5 with a 4.80 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 69 walks in 153.2 innings.