Orioles cut bait again on top prospect outfielder to give Kyle Stowers an MLB chance

The Baltimore Orioles are in the enviable position of having loads of position player talent in their minor league system that they can just swap in and out depending on need and who is playing well and who...well, isn't or if injuries pop up. Normally, demoting a prospect like Jackson Holliday would be devastating for most teams' outlooks, but Baltimore hasn't missed a beat.

One guy down in the minors who has been pressing HARD for another shot at the big leagues has been Kyle Stowers. Stowers had a really strong spring training and just barely didn't make the cut for the Opening Day roster and since then, he has mashed 11 homers at Triple-A in 2024.

Apparently, his recent performance has been enough to give him another shot as the Orioles are calling up Stowers back to the big leagues. In an unrelated move, Baltimore also claimed Corbin Martin off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. To make room for Stowers, Heston Kjerstad has been sent back to the minor leagues.

Orioles News: Baltimore calling up Stowers, claim Corbin Martin, and option Kjerstad to the minors

Stowers' previous looks in the major leagues have left a lot to be desired. He has shown some impressive pop at times, but having a .598 OPS across 131 plate appearances isn't going to get the job done. The call-up is also a little strange in the sense that he is only hitting .240 at Triple-A this season, but this is a move that needs to be evaluated in context.

Given that Stowers is already on the 40-man roster (which is now full), bringing him up is an easy move to make procedurally for Baltimore. Stowers merely takes Kjerstad's spot on the big league roster and that is probably for the best. The Orioles weren't playing Kjerstad much since calling him up and this gives him an opportunity to get regular at-bats again (he also hadn't been particularly good when he did play).

As for the Orioles' waiver claim, this is purely a depth move for Baltimore for a guy that Mike Elias is familiar with. Martin has experience starting and can throw multiple innings out of the bullpen as well. Martin has worked exclusively in relief this year in the minor leagues and his 7.20 ERA in 2024 is unsightly as is his walk rate this year, he does generally know how to miss bats at least and could prove useful if he can figure out how to find the strike zone.

More Orioles News from Birds Watcher