Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Orioles were back on the roster shuffle. The Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday that they claimed infielder Jonathan Araúz off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, and have optioned him to Triple A Norfolk.
To make room for Araúz on the 40 man roster, the Baltimore Orioles designated Zac Lowther for assignment. Jonathan Araúz got his start in professional baseball when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent in 2014.
One year later, he was traded to the Houston Astros in a trade that also included Ken Giles, Mark Appel, and Thomas Eshelman. The Red Sox selected Araúz in the 2019 rule 5 draft from the Astros organization.
Since he was taken in the rule 5 draft, Araúz had the chance to stick on the Red Sox roster for the entirety of the shortened 2020 season. He performed well given his circumstances, hitting .250 with one home run and 9 RBI’s in 25 games.
The Baltimore Orioles claim Jonathan Araúz: Let’s learn about him
In the 2021 season, Araúz was the first call up from Triple A for the Red Sox if an infielder was out of action due to injury or other reasons. He appeared in 28 games in 2021, hitting .185 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI’s.
He made the expanded opening day roster this year, but has gone without a hit this season in 12 plate appearances. The Red Sox designated him for assignment to make room for Rob Refsnyder, which opened the door for the Baltimore Orioles.
The claiming of Araúz comes as Richie Martin is currently up in the big leagues, thanks to Ramón Urías being on the 10 Day IL due to a left oblique strain. Trey Mancini is also out for a few days with a hand injury as well, making Araúz important infield depth, as he has played second base, shortstop, and 3rd base in his career.
While Araúz may be a relatively inexperienced big league infielder who doesn’t have a high upside, he is a very solid depth piece to have for an organization, as he has minor league options remaining. He also is a serviceable infielder when he is needed, which is enough for the Orioles in this stage of their rebuild.