Orioles news: Former Orioles pitcher lands with NL West team
A former Orioles pitcher is off to the west coast after being a waiver claim
With the Orioles having picked up a pitcher and an outfielder via the waiver wire so far this offseason, they saw a former pitcher head to another organization the same way. The San Diego Padres announced on Wednesday that they claimed Logan Gillaspie off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.
Former Oriole Logan Gillaspie joins San Diego Padres organization
Gillaspie had been up and down with the Orioles in 2023, switching between the majors and Triple A Norfolk a few times during the season. In September, the Orioles DFA'd him and he was claimed on waivers by the Red Sox.
He spent the rest of the year with Triple A Worcester in the Red Sox organization. The Red Sox recently outrighted him off the 40 man roster and tried to sneak him through waivers as depth, but the Padres took him off waivers and added him to their 40 man roster, which is now at 35 players.
In the majors in 2023, Gillaspie had a 6.00 ERA, 6.37 FIP, and 2.11 WHIP while averaging two home runs per nine and five walks per nine in 11 appearances and nine innings with the Orioles. Between Norfolk and Worcester, he had a 4.20 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with six saves over 40 2/3 innings and 38 appearances.
Gillaspie only appeared in two pitching metrics on baseball savant, ranking in the 38th percentile in extension and 77th percentile in fastball velocity as he averaged 95.6 miles an hour. He's certainly a cheap and controllable pitching depth option for the Padres, as he only cost $721,200 in 2023 and is still in his pre-arbitration years.
This move for the Padres is to increase their pitching depth, as a lack of depth hurt the team in 2023, among other things. Gillaspie still has one year left of minor league options, so the Padres can assign Gillaspie to the minors without waivers should they so choose. Best of luck to Logan in the Padres organization.