Orioles swipe former Yankees top prospect in slew of waiver claims to kickoff free agency

There are big questions facing the Baltimore Orioles as the club looks to reshape the roster this offseason and return to contender status. The club is willing to trade almost anyone in search of starting pitching and outfield upgrades, and that's just for starters. Those sorts of deals take time, though, and with free agency officially opening yesterday evening, Mike Elias has been busy tinkering with the bottom of the roster.

The team cut bait with former top draft pick Heston Kjerstad, but that wasn't the only waiver move the Orioles made. Leody Taveras cleared waivers and elected free agency. See, even the outfield depth is thinning out.

With all the subtractions came a quartet of additions via waiver claims. Baltimore nabbed right-handed pitchers Chase Hampton and Josh White from the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, respectively. They also grabbed catcher Zach Morgan from the San Francisco Giants and left-handed pitcher Philip Abner from the New York Mets.

Orioles grab depth and upside in waiver claims headlined by former Yankees top prospect Chase Hampton

These four players can essentially be divided into three separate groups. White and Abner are depth arms who could see time in the bullpen in 2027 if injuries strike. Morgan is organizational depth at catcher. Finally, Chase Hampton is a reclamation project and could prove to be a lottery ticket.

Abner is just 24 years old, but he has the most big league experience of the group. Splitting time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Giants, he made 13 appearances and logged 19 innings. Unfortunately, he walked more batters (11) than he struck out (10) and finished the year with a 7.11 ERA.

White made just one major league appearance in 2026, the only one of his career. However, the 26-year-old put together a solid season in Triple-A for the Marlins, throwing 56 innings over 36 appearances and posting a 2.41 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate and a 13.5% walk rate. For a club that needs as much pitching depth as possible, he's intriguing, though he shouldn't be counted on to win a job out of spring training.

Morgan is mostly minor league fodder. He split time between Double-A and Triple-A, with the majority of his action coming in Triple-A, where he slashed .226/.300/.323.

The potential crown jewel of this haul is Hampton. Back in 2023, Hampton made his pro debut by throwing 106 2/3 innings between Hi-A and Double-A, recording a 3.63 ERA and a 33.1% strikeout rate. That performance earned him the Kevin Lawn Award, given to the Yankees' top minor league pitcher each year. As a result, he entered MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects, ranking 92nd on the 2024 preseason list.

From there, though, injuries have been the story. A variety of injuries knocked his 2024 season off course, resulting in him undergoing Tommy John surgery in February of 2025. He finally returned to the mound this year, but struggled, posting an 8.18 ERA over 55 innings, topping out in Double-A.

The Yankees DFA'd him to make room on their 40-man roster for Aaron Judge in September, and he was snapped up by the Washington Nationals, released again, landed with the St. Louis Cardinals, and now has found his way to Baltimore.

The chances of him becoming a factor for the Orioles are slim, and he may not even stick around with the organization for long, but if they're willing to give him a shot and see if he's stronger in his second year removed from the surgery, they might find him to be a diamond in the rough.

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