The Orioles announced that right-hander Brooks Kriske was claimed off waivers from the Reds and assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. As reported by MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko (X link) earlier today, left-hander Nick Vespi was designated for assignment to clear a spot on Baltimore’s 40-man roster.
Cincinnati designated Kriske for assignment earlier this week, and the righty is now back with one of his former teams. Kriske had a 12.27 ERA in four games and 3 2/3 innings for the Orioles in 2021 before being released to sign with the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball after the season. After his season in Japan, Kriske returned to North America on a minor league contract with the Royals, pitching a 4.05 ERA in 6 2/3 innings in 2023 before returning to NPB for a brief spell with the Seibu Lions.
Kriske then signed a minor league contract with the Reds this winter and did not see any major league action despite a brief appearance on Cincinnati’s active roster in June. He produced a 3.10 ERA and an eye-opening 36.7% strikeout rate in 49 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville, despite an inflated 14.8% walk rate and a highly favorable.205 BABIP. The statistics virtually tell the tale of Kriske’s career, as the 30-year-old has long struggled with control while also missing a lot of bats.
Kriske’s resume piqued the Orioles’ interest enough to bring him back into the organization; nevertheless, if he is called up to the majors, Kriske will be limited in his options because he has no minor league options left. Vespi is in his final option year, and he has been summoned and demoted from Triple-A a combined five times this season, which probably influenced Baltimore’s decision to send the southpaw to the DFA wire.
Vespi has been routinely shuttled back and forth between Baltimore and Norfolk throughout his three Major League seasons, as the Orioles haven’t felt forced to give him a longer look despite some solid performance. Vespi has a 3.88 ERA in 53 1/3 career MLB innings, with a 2.92 ERA in 12 1/3 frames in 2024. Vespi, in contrast to Kriske, is a control specialist (5.9% walk rate in the majors) with a low strikeout percentage (20.9%).
Surprisingly, Vespi’s walk rate has skyrocketed during his stay in Triple-A this season, with a staggering 15.9% walk rate contributing to his 7.71 ERA over 37 1/3 innings in Norfolk. The walk rate and ERA appear to be anomalies against Vespi’s generally good career record at the Triple-A level, and other teams may not be discouraged from putting in a waiver claim to secure his rights.
