The Baltimore Orioles have signed former Oakland Athletics infielder Vimael MachÃn to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican was formerly with the Chicago Cubs, but the Athletics selected him in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft, and he made his MLB debut the following year, in 2020.
MachÃn spent three seasons with the A’s in Oakland, appearing in 112 games and playing all infield positions except catcher. He was largely employed at third base, appearing in 68 games during the 2022 season. That year, he hit.220 with a.300 OBP in 253 bat appearances and slugged his only home run.
The defense he supplied in Oakland was not very good, with -8 Outs Above Average per Statcast over three seasons, six of which came at the hot corner.
At the plate, he walked exactly 10% of the time and struck out 18.6% of the time throughout those three seasons, but his barrel rate was just 3.1%, and his exit velocity, while slightly over league average at 89.5 miles per hour, also had a launch angle of 9.1 degrees. This resulted in a lot of ground balls and low line drives. Given his lack of power, this was not the worst combo.
After the 2022 season, MachÃn signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies but did not advance to the major leagues.
MachÃn dominated the Mexican League pitching in 2024, batting.401 with a.495 OBP and seven home homers in 85 games. He now competes in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
During his stint with the A’s, he possessed some impressive bat-to-ball abilities, which were his calling card. It’s unclear if he’s improved his profile in the intervening two seasons, but the Orioles must have noticed something appealing. MachÃn has untapped potential, which the O’s may be able to unlock.
