Baltimore Orioles: Goodbye Ryan Meisinger, hello Rio Ruiz

On Monday afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles claimed infielder Rio Ruiz off waivers from the Braves, then lost RHP Ryan Meisinger via waiver claim by the Cardinals

Around mid-day yesterday, news broke that the Baltimore Orioles had acquired infielder Rio Ruiz and had lost righty Ryan Meisinger, both via waiver claims. The move keeps 38 players on the Orioles 40-man roster, with rumors suggesting that Mike Elias could grab two players in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft.

An 11th round draft pick in 2015, Meisinger spent most of the past four years in the minors with the Orioles. He posted impressive strikeout totals in short-season ball and the low minors but was never a top-prospect for the O’s

Meisinger pitched in 18 games for the Orioles in 2018 and he was mostly effective outside of a spot start he made in Boston on September 26th, in which he allowed 5 runs on 4 hits in a third of an inning.

GM Mike Elias has no connection to Meisinger and didn’t view him as a major league piece in Baltimore in 2019. At just 24, Meisinger still has time to put it together and become an effective reliever, and St Louis will take a chance and try to develop him further.

Elias does have a connection with the newly added Ruiz, who was drafted by Elias and the Astros in 2012, and who the Orioles claimed from Atlanta on Monday.

Ruiz is a serviceable defender who has hit well in the high minors, but who has an 81 DRC+ in 72 games at the major league level. Much of Ruiz’s playing time in the majors came in 2017, when he filled in for the Braves and hit .193/.283/.307 in 173 plate appearances.

Ruiz isn’t a star, and has never been a top prospect, but he will provide organizational depth, and could help push Renato Nunez to become a better player.

There have been rumblings in Birdland about the potential for both Ruiz and Nunez to share time at the hot corner, as Nunez hits right-handed and Ruiz left. It’s possible that’s the case, but if the rumors are true that Elias will take two players in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft, it’ll be tougher to keep both Nunez and Ruiz on the active roster.

Ruiz does still have one minor league option year remaining, so that flexibility will help Elias and the Orioles as they try to figure out the third base situation next year.

I’m of the belief that Nunez will get the majority of starts at third, at least to open the year, but Elias isn’t connected to him; Nunez was a Dan Duquette guy. If Nunez struggles at all, expect the competition to heat up between him and Ruiz.