Orioles claim former Dodgers infielder, top-125 prospect off waivers

On Thursday afternoon, the Orioles announced they'd claimed infielder Jacob Amaya off waivers and in turn, designated the recently acquired Roansy Contreras for assignment. Amaya comes to Baltimore by way of Chicago and Houston, as he spent time with both clubs in 2024.

Amaya appeared in just 1 game with the Astros this past year, spending the majority of his time at Triple-A where he hit a discouraging .233/.313/.336. The 26 year old was subsequently DFA'd by the Astros before being claimed by the White Sox. He did get some reps in Chicago, which was his first meaningful stretch of major league at-bats.

Despite previous prospect hype, Amaya didn't look good during his time with the Sox. He struggled to a .176/.222/.191 slash line while managing just one extra base hit in 71 plate appearances down the stretch. The White Sox just recently designated Amaya for assignment in order to make room for infielder Josh Rojas, who was signed earlier in January.

Orioles designate Roansy Contreras for assignment, claim infielder Jacob Amaya off waivers

In Amaya, the Orioles will get an interesting post-hype prospect who can play multiple infield spots from a defensive standpoint. If he gets reps in Baltimore, it could be at any of shortstop, second, or third base, assuming he finds a way to make it through spring training and onto the roster for Opening Day.

Amaya was previously a top-125 prospect, appearing at 118 overall back in 2018. He was with the Dodgers at that point, who had taken him in the 11th round in the 2017 draft. He appeared in multiple versions of the Dodgers top-20 list, and was a top-10 player in the Marlins system during a brief stint in Miami.

Most of the shine has worn off Amaya at this point, but there's still a small chance he could work his way into a utility role if the Orioles can help him find a way to get on base.

In exchange for Amaya, the Orioles have swapped out the recently acquired Roansy Contreras, a right handed pitcher who was claimed off waivers earlier this month. It would be surprising to see Contreras pass through waivers unclaimed, as he's been an interesting, if unlucky, asset over the past few years.

Contreras is most likely best suited for a bullpen role at this point in his career but could still function as a swingman and make starts if needed. That almost certainly won't happen in Baltimore after his DFA. The Orioles could potentially find a trade partner for Contreras in the next week or so. If they don't, we should expect to see him claimed before the end of his waiver period.