Baltimore Orioles re-sign young infielder to MLB deal

Vázquez, 26, appeared in 36 games for the Orioles in 2025, slashing .160/.208/.240 with one home run and one double in 50 at-bats. In his limited action, Vázquez proved to be a versatile piece, logging time at each infield position, designated hitter, and even eating up 4.1 scoreless innings in four appearances pitching.

The young infielder split most of his time in the big leagues at third base (12 games) and shortstop (11 games) but has made the majority of his minor league starts at shortstop. In 43 games for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides this year, Vázquez fared much better at the plate with a .271/.343/.413 slash line, five home runs, 23 RBIs, and four stolen bases.

Vázquez broke into the big leagues on May 22, 2024 with the Chicago Cubs. There, he played in 11 games and recorded just one hit in his 12 plate appearances with one RBI and two runs. Chicago drafted Vázquez in the 14th round out of high school back in 2017, and he spent his first six seasons working through their minor league system. Vázquez has had a productive minor league career, slashing .242/.312/.364 in his 572 total games.

The Orioles purchased Vázquez's contract from the Cubs on January 31, 2025, but designated him for free agency after signing Ramon Laureano on February 4th. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk where he began the year. After a strong start, Vázquez got the call to join the big-league club on June 10th.

Now signed to a major league deal, Vázquez will figure into Baltimore's 2026 plans as a utility man with years of minor league experience despite playing in less than 50 MLB games. With Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday commanding the middle of the infield, the most consistent source of playing time for Vázquez would likely be third base, where the O's have Jordan Westburg, who battled injuries in 2025.

Regardless of his path to playing time, the Orioles' decision to ink both Vázquez and Garcia to these short-term contracts pre-arbitration could be a sign of things to come this offseason. After failing to extend Henderson last offseason, Mike Elias could look to go on the offensive with some of his young core. With the club now committed to Craig Albernaz as manager, and reports indicating that they will not hire a new general manager before the season, the focus can turn fully to addressing the roster through free agency and the trade market.