Orioles correct earlier roster blunder with midday Braves trade

Since the end of the 2024 season, Mike Elias and the Baltimore Orioles front office have made a series of questionable moves. The list is easy to compile: it includes keeping the since-designated for assignment Cionel Perez over Danny Coulombe, signing 41-year-old Charlie Morton to help offset the loss of star Corbin Burnes, and thus far failing to make any serious effort to extend their young superstars.

One smaller but inexplicable mistake was the Orioles' decision to designate veteran right-hander Scott Blewett for assignment mere days after shrewdly claiming him off waivers from the Twins. In two games with the Orioles, Blewett was terrific, firing four and one-third innings while striking out six without allowing an earned run. Indeed, the day after Blewett's second scoreless appearance, the Orioles designated him for assignment to make room for starter Brandon Young.

Reliever Scott Blewett returns to Orioles in trade with Braves

It was a disappointing decision for a scuffling Orioles bullpen that still employed Perez and his brutal 10.80 ERA at the time. The Orioles wound up trading Blewett to the Atlanta Braves, who, up until Thursday's blowup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitched extremely well in Atlanta. In ten games before the Diamondbacks roughed him up for five runs in 1 1/3 innings, Blewett was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, and had allowed earned runs in only two of his 10 appearances.

But after retiring the only batter he faced on a ground out on Tuesday, Blewett and closer Raisel Iglesias were responsible for blowing a 10-4 Braves lead heading into the ninth inning yesterday. The Braves designated Blewett for assignment, interestingly replacing him with former Oriole Craig Kimbrel. Baseball is just funny like that sometimes.

Perhaps realizing their mistake in letting a solid right-handed reliever go six weeks prior, the Orioles reacquired Blewett from the Braves for cash before Friday night's game in Sacramento against the A's. According to Roch Kubatko, Blewett has not yet reported to the Orioles, but the Orioles will have to designate or option another reliever to add him to the roster. It appears likely that Matt Bowman will be the latest victim of the Orioles' DFA carousel.

While Blewett has never been a dominant reliever, he has succeeded in spurts with the Twins, Braves, and even in a tiny sample size with the Orioles. With Blewett back in the fold and the Orioles' bullpen pitching much better, Baltimore will look to continue winning in their first-ever trip to Sacramento this weekend.

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