Baltimore Orioles: Orioles waiting for Francisco Pena to clear waivers

After the Baltimore Orioles designated Francisco Pena for assignment, the team is hoping Pena rejoins the team later this week.

When the Baltimore Orioles traded for Gabriel Ynoa earlier this week, they designated catcher Francisco Pena for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

However, it doesn’t mean the Orioles no longer want Pena in the fold.

The Orioles are hoping Pena passes through waivers and re-joins the team later this week. Pena has never been outrighted before, so if he clears waivers he would have no choice but to accept a minor-league assignment with the team.

Here’s what Orioles manager Buck Showalter had to say about the situation:

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“We find out Wednesday,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I see the waiver wire every day that comes over and there are a lot of catchers who have been put on waivers the last two weeks, and they’re all going through, which lends me to think that a lot of people have their catching situation, they think, under control.“Now, he may get claimed. He doesn’t have a prior outright, so he’d be here Thursday if he cleared. So, we’ll see. I hope not, for our sake, and I hope so for his sake. Nothing would change here about the competition factor if he clears.”

The Orioles are already carrying quite a few catchers into Spring Training with Caleb Joseph and Welington Castillo being the ‘headliners’. If Pena doesn’t return to the Orioles and is claimed by another team, the O’s are going to have to bring another catcher into camp.

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And that were the case, the Orioles would most likely select catcher Stuart Levy as a non-roster invitee.