Orioles land Big Christmas in post-holiday surprise waiver claim

The Baltimore Orioles may have previously stated that the rotation was their top priority (and rightfully so), but it is clear that they were looking for more power in their lineup as well. Not only did the Orioles trade for Taylor Ward, but they went out and signed the best pure power hitter on the market in Pete Alonso. While some thought that the lineup additions were over with, Baltimore may have just gotten a bit lucky and added another intriguing bat.

There was a time when Jhonkensy Noel was a really intriguing power-hitting prospect for the Guardians. While he is very capable of hitting tape measure shots when he makes contact, there are some real questions about his ability to cover ground in the outfield, his hit tool overall, and his ability to get on base enough to have real value. After struggling mightily in 2025, Cleveland ultimately decided to designate Noel for assignment and let someone else figure out how to fix him.

As it turns out, that "someone else" is the Orioles as they just claimed Noel off of waivers.

Orioles claim Jhonkensy Noel off of waivers as a bit of a lottery ticket

Now, Orioles fans shouldn't get too excited here, as Noel's stock has tumbled quite a bit. After all, the guy did just post a .480 OPS in 153 plate appearances for Cleveland in 2025. By any measure, Noel is a lottery ticket that Baltimore can stash in the minors and figure out if they can turn him into a workable big league hitter.

However, with lottery tickets, you have to have upside, and Noel has plenty of that with his raw power. If he were to figure things out, there are some shades of a righty Yordan Alvarez in his game when he is on, and he has performed well in the minor leagues thus far. Big league fastballs and offspeed stuff have given him fits, but he possesses the bat speed to handle just about anything. If the Orioles can teach him some pitch recognition and plate discipline, that would be a great starting point.

Ultimately, that a smart organization like the Guardians gave up on Noel despite the fact that they would love to have a strong power threat in their lineup is telling. However, this is an extremely low-risk move for the Orioles that, if some things break their way, could end up being a massive win.