Orioles Select Albert Suarez

Veteran swingman Albert Suarez is headed back to the Orioles. Baltimore selected his contract for the fifth time this season. Trey Gibson was optioned to the Spring Training complex to clear a big-league spot. Kyle Bradish was moved to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.

The Orioles snuck in one last Suarez transaction before the end of the regular season. He’ll provide some innings for the club in the final series against the Yankees. The right-hander has been designated for assignment on five occasions this year. He’s always found his way back to the organization, either through accepting an outright assignment or signing a new minor league deal.

The arrangement has worked out well for both sides. Suarez is added to the roster whenever the club needs a fresh arm, is put through waivers when he’s no longer needed, goes unclaimed, then heads back to the minors to do it all over again. He gets the occasional MLB paycheck, and Baltimore gets what amounts to an extra man on the roster.

Suarez has pitched reasonably well in the majors. He’s notched a 4.12 ERA in 29 appearances. While he’s made some starts for the team in the past, he’s operated strictly as a reliever in the majors this season.

Gibson has been up and down several times this season. His first big-league campaign ends with a 6.13 ERA over nine appearances (eight starts). The young righty is one of the more highly-regarded pitching prospects in Baltimore’s system. He reached Triple-A at the end of last year and spent most of this season at the level.

The 24-year-old Gibson routinely posted big strikeout numbers in the minors, but his walk rate bordered on troublesome. The control problems were exacerbated at the highest level. Gibson posted a 14.6% walk rate in his 39 2/3 innings with the Orioles. He did end the season on a high note, firing 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Bradish hit the injured list in mid-September with lower abdominal discomfort. The injury was later diagnosed as a sports hernia. The most recent update from the team was that Bradish was weighing surgery. If he goes that route, the typical recovery time would put him on track to be ready for Spring Training in 2027.