The Orioles announced that right-hander Albert Suárez elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week and has now exercised his right to head to the open market.
Though Suárez is now a free agent, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Orioles re-sign him, as the pitcher and the club have been doing this dance all year. He started this year with the O’s on a minor league deal. Three times this year, he has been added to the roster. He is later designated for assignment, clears waivers and winds up back with the O’s, either by accepting an outright assignment or electing free agency and signing a new deal.
Around the transactions, he has given Baltimore 55 innings over 25 appearances, allowing 3.93 earned runs per nine frames. His 8.3% walk rate in that time has been fine but his 16.5% strikeout rate and 30.8% ground ball rate are both subpar figures. If not for a .259 batting average on balls in play, he would have allowed more runs, which is why his 4.39 FIP and 4.62 SIERA are higher than his ERA.
He’s not the best pitcher in the league but the O’s clearly like him as a depth arm/swingman. After spending several years in Korea and Japan, Suárez got a lengthy run with Baltimore in 2024. He made 24 starts and eight relief appearances, throwing 133 2/3 innings with a 3.70 ERA. Last year was mostly lost to injuries, as he was only able to log 11 2/3 innings. He has been back with the club this year but, as mentioned, has been pushed to a fringe role where he bounces on and off the roster. He can survey his offers as a free agent but might re-sign with Baltimore at any time.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
