What's next for Orioles lefty Cole Irvin after clearing waivers

Cole Irvin's decline in 2024 was sharp and unceremonious. Through his first 10 starts, Irvin pitched to a 2.84 ERA with an encouraging 3.48 FIP. He's never been a big strikeout guy but he was right in line with his career K-rate and had done an admirable job keeping runners off the bases.

Unfortunately for both Irvin and the Orioles something snapped at the start of June, and not in a good way. Between June 1 and July 30, Irvin posted a 7.16 ERA in 11 appearances, including 6 starts. His K-rate dropped to a dismal 14.2% during that time, significantly below the league average of 22%. He lost control of the strike zone and batters absolutely crushed everything he had to offer.

As a result of his collapse, the Orioles were forced shift him into a bullpen role and eventually designate him for assignment, doing so on the morning of the trade deadline. The O's brought in a couple external options in Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, and had previously turned to internal replacements in Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott to mitigate the damage from losing Irvin.

The Orioles have struggled to replicate Cole Irvin's early production

In his time in Baltimore, Povich failed to launch. McDermott made just one start before being sent back down and is currently on the IL with a stress reaction in his shoulder. Eflin has made two solid starts, while Rogers faltered in his first appearance against the Guardians but looked serviceable against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

As for Irvin, he finds himself behind all three of those pitchers, minus McDermott due to the injury, on the depth chart. He's also behind both Albert Suarez, who was moved out of the rotation due to poor performance, as well as Bruce Zimmermann who is currently the only other starter on the 40-man.

With the devastating news of Grayson Rodriguez's lat injury hitting Orioles fans on Wednesday morning, Irvin could find himself back in the conversation more quickly than the front office had intended.

Due to the fact that he's not on the 40-man anymore, it'll take a series of injuries to get him back to Baltimore, but it doesn't feel out of the question at present. For now, Irvin will work in the Norfolk rotation alongside a number of talented prospects in Povich, Brandon Young, and Justin Armbruester.

Thanks to his previous experience, Irvin should have a leg up on the group of guys who have yet to pitch in the majors if the Orioles need an arm down the stretch. It's fair to think that if Irvin is pitching in Baltimore in September, something has gone wrong, though. His demotion to Triple-A was earned and despite that experience, his most recent performance in Baltimore won't soon be forgotten by the front office.