Orioles reunite with versatile infielder on minor league pact

The Orioles have spent what seems like the entire winter trying to build up their organizational depth. They've made a number of moves to get a variety of infielders and outfielders in place that have the ability to toe the line between Triple-A and the majors in the event that they need to make moves.

It's an understandable position, especially considering how viciously the injury bug hit this organization last year. At one point, the Orioles had 13 guys on the IL, just at the major league level. They were forced to shuttle players up and down, in some cases before prospects were truly ready to face major league pitching.

Well in that space, the Orioles have gone back to the well and signed long-time infielder Terrin Vavra to a minor league contract. Though he started his career in Colorado and spent a chunk of 2024 with Seattle, Vavra has spent the majority of his time with the Orioles.

His most recent stint in the majors came in 2023. He wasn't particularly impressive, hitting just .245/.315/.245 across parts of 27 games. However, Vavra does offer a good bit of defensive versatility and he's still just 27 years old.

The Orioles have come to terms with infielder Terrin Vavra on a minor league contract

Vavra has primarily been a second baseman, getting a good chunk of his reps there in recent years. However, he's also spent significant time at other spots. He's a capable shortstop and has experience playing third base and the outfield corners. He's gotten a few reps in center but that's certainly not his primary spot, nor should it be.

Vavra can be plenty useful for the 2025 Orioles, and it's an interesting choice to bring him back. Surely there's some interest there from the O's perspective as they're familiar with Vavra, his hitting and fielding styles, and his impact on the clubhouse. By all accounts, he's a good presence to have around and the ability to sub in at basically any spot on the diamond has its perks.

With any luck, Vavra will remain a depth option though. It's possible that there's a mid-career renaissance waiting to happen. He was a very good hitter at Triple-A, as recently as 2023. He hasn't quite gotten the chance to get a full slate of reps at the major league level, but there are also more than a handful of guys with higher upsides ahead of him on the depth chart at this point. If Vavra breaks out, it'll be a win for the Orioles. If they get bitten by the injury bug again, Vavra should at the very least be able to step in and give the O's a bit of breathing room while they work to find a long-term solution.