The Orioles have acquired right-hander Cody Poteet from the Cubs in alternate for money issues, per an announcement out of Baltimore. Poteet had been designated for task by the Cubs previous to Opening Day to make room for right-hander Brad Keller on their 40-man roster. The righty has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles, whose 40-man roster now stands at 39.
Poteet, 30, was acquired by the Cubs over the offseason because the return within the commerce that despatched Cody Bellinger to the Yankees. Chicago’s precedence in that commerce was, in fact, dumping the rest of Bellinger’s contract after he determined in opposition to opting out final winter. Bellinger, who’s now serving as the first heart fielder within the Bronx, was squeezed out of the Cubs’ lineup by the membership buying and selling for Kyle Tucker to man proper area in addition to the emergence of high prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong in heart. Given the character of the commerce, the membership’s determination to DFA Poteet earlier this week was hardly a shock regardless of frustration from many on the North Aspect over the difficulty.
For the Orioles, the transfer means added some depth to a pitching employees that’s at present with out Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, Chayce McDermott, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells as a consequence of accidents. A fourth-round decide by the Marlins again in 2015, Poteet made his massive league debut in Miami in the course of the 2021 season as a starter, making seven appearances as a part of the membership’s rotation the place he pitched to a 4.99 ERA (85 ERA+) with a 5.62 FIP. These lackluster leads to a rotation function led the Marlins to make use of him extra as a swing man in 2022, and he did pretty effectively for himself within the function; Poteet via 28 innings on the massive league degree in whole unfold between two begins and ten aid appearances that yr, and his 3.86 ERA (106 ERA+) was first rate regardless of a lackluster 18.4% strikeout price.
Sadly, Poteet’s Marlins profession would come to an finish when he required Tommy John surgical procedure in late 2022, main Miami to designate him for task. He spent the 2023 marketing campaign rehabbing and made a short look within the Royals’ minor league system earlier than touchdown a significant league cope with the Yankees final January. The proper-hander did fairly effectively for himself within the Bronx, posting a powerful 2.22 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of labor on the massive league degree whereas pitching to a 3.40 ERA in 13 minor league begins final yr.
Now on his third franchise previously 4 months, Poteet heads to Triple-A to function depth behind the membership’s rotation, which nonetheless features a stable quintet of Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Cade Povich even after the aforementioned accidents. Kyle Gibson figures to affix that group in some unspecified time in the future within the season’s first month or so after signing on with the Orioles earlier this month, however Poteet supplies optionable insurance coverage for the membership in opposition to one other harm within the meantime.
If a starter have been to go down, it’s potential Poteet might slide immediately into the rotation, though with veteran swingman Albert Suarez within the massive league bullpen it appears extra doubtless the Orioles would lean on Suarez to begin whereas pushing Poteet into his spot within the bullpen. Poteet will doubtless be pushed additional down the membership’s depth chart as soon as Gibson is able to pitch, however an optionable arm able to throwing both out of the rotation or in aid as wanted remains to be a useful asset to have within the fold over the course of a 162-game season.
As for the Cubs, the membership already has loads of optionable beginning depth already which will have made it simpler to half methods with the righty. Optionable righty Ben Brown is at present serving because the membership’s fifth starter with southpaw Jordan Wicks standing because the doubtless subsequent man up at Triple-A, although the eventual return of Javier Assad (who additionally has choices remaining) from an indirect pressure might push each kids down the depth chart sooner or later.
