The Orioles confirmed that outfielder Daz Cameron, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared outright waivers unclaimed. He had the option of electing free agency, but he accepted the outright assignment and will attend camp as a non-roster invitee.
Cameron, 28, has never played a game for the Orioles. He was with the Athletics in 2024, but was traded to Baltimore for cash at the end of October. Cameron was expected to be a bench outfielder for a while, but the Orioles added Tyler O’Neill, Ramón Laureano, and Dylan Carlson this offseason. These actions pushed Cameron off the roster and onto the waiver wire.
If a player has a previous career outright or three years of service time, they have the option of rejecting an outright assignment and entering free agency. The Orioles outrighted Cameron in the 2022-23 offseason after claiming him off waivers from the Tigers. He went on to spend the 2023 season in the minors with the Orioles before becoming a free agency and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics. With this loss, he had the option of opting into free agency, but it appears he will stay with the O’s and try to earn his way back on the squad.
Cameron has made 430 major league plate appearances for the Tigers and A’s, batting.201/.263/.330. However, he has a quick sprint and has stolen 14 bases without being caught. Over the last four years, he has hit.265/.347/.449 for a 105 wRC+ in 1,236 minor league plate appearances, implying that he is capable of more than he has demonstrated in his big league career thus far.
The Orioles intend to use an outfield lineup of Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, and O’Neill most of the time, with Heston Kjerstad, Ryan O’Hearn, and Laureano also in consideration. Jorge Mateo will play a role at some point, although he appears to be on the injured list to begin the season. Cameron will be part of the non-roster depth group, which includes Nick Gordon and Franklin Barreto. If he returns to the major leagues at any moment, he is out of options but has less than two years of service time.
