The Orioles announced that outfielder Michael Siani has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. He had been designated for assignment earlier this week. This is his first outright and he has less than three years of service time, so he does not have the right to reject this assignment in favor of electing free agency.
Siani, 26, is a glove-first outfielder. In 384 big league plate appearance, he has a dismal .220/.276/.270 line. His work in Triple-A is better but still not great, as he has a combined line of .215/.323/.333 over multiple seasons at that level.
But his other attributes are clearly enticing. He stole 20 bags with the Cardinals in 2024, his biggest sample of big league playing time. He has logged over 1,000 innings in the outfield over five different seasons and has been credited with seven Defensive Runs Saved and 17 Outs Above Average.
Teams clearly value the overall profile. Siani started his career with the Reds but went to the Cards via waiver claim in 2023. In the most recent offseason, he went to Atlanta, the Dodgers, Yankees and Dodgers again via waiver claims. The Orioles claimed him last month and mostly kept him on optional assignment. As mentioned, he was designated for assignment last week and he has finally been passed through waivers unclaimed.
The Orioles will keep Siani around as non-roster depth for the time being. At the big league level, Baltimore has an outfield mix consisting of Leody Taveras, Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill and Jeremiah Jackson. They currently have Dylan Beavers on the injured list. Reed Trimble, Heston Kjerstad and Johnathan Rodríguez are on optional assignment.
If an injury pops up, Siani could be added back to the roster, but the O’s could also go with one of those guys still on the 40-man. Siani will qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end if not added back to the roster.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
