Orioles Make Move for Former Yankees Player

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joshua Valdez | Last updated May 25, 2025 7:46 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Sunday to clinch a series split, but that was the exception to the norm so far in their trying season. The Orioles are 18-34 and last place in the AL East, seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for fourth.

Baltimore wasn't expected to struggle this much coming off of a Wild Card appearance last season. That's why the club fired manager Brandon Hyde on May 17 at 15-28, temporarily replacing him with third base coach Tony Mansolino.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have a 5.5-game lead atop the division as they play the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The Orioles picked up a former Yankee on Sunday morning, per their social media.

"We have agreed to terms with UTIL Cooper Hummel on a one-year contract for the 2025 season," they announced. "Welcome to Birdland, Cooper!"

The 30-year-old owns a career slash line of .159/.255/.275 with three homers and 17 RBI across 82 big-league games.

We have agreed to terms with UTIL Cooper Hummel on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.

Welcome to Birdland, Cooper! pic.twitter.com/oRYaJajL9c
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 25, 2025

The Milwaukee Brewers took Hummel in the 18th round of the 2016 MLB draft before trading him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in July 2021. The 5-foot-9-inch, 198-pounder made his MLB debut for the latter club in 2022, and it later dealt him to the Seattle Mariners.

The New York Mets claimed Hummel off waivers in December 2023, who traded him to the San Francisco Giants a month later. The Houston Astros then claimed him in April 2024.

The Yankees signed Hummel to a minor league deal in April 2025, and he slashed .258/.415/.290 with two RBI and one stolen base in 10 contests for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. It then released him on Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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