The Baltimore Orioles would like to forget their season, which ended on September 28 with a 75-87 record. The Orioles, who had just made back-to-back playoff appearances, never intended to finish last in the loaded American League East. However, they slipped into a hole early and were forced to sell at the trade deadline, making the roster appear much less familiar to most fans in August and September. Few Orioles fans expected to see Emmanuel Rivera play this season in Baltimore, but he ended up playing 42 games.
However, the 29-year-old, who the Orioles got off waivers from the Miami Marlins last summer, was unable to get anything going with the bat. After being designated for assignment twice this season, Rivera decided his time in Baltimore was up. According to his official roster page, the five-year major league veteran decided to enter free agency on Monday. Rivera slashed.250/.291/.283 for the Orioles this season, demonstrating a startling lack of on-base ability and power despite his relatively high batting average. He played 30 games at third base, eight at first, two at designated hitter, and six as a pinch hitter.
Rivera’s past major league career includes stints with the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks, where he reached the World Series in 2023. Every team can benefit from versatile infield gloves, but Rivera’s lack of offensive skill and inability to play middle infield leaves him with a cloudy market. Now that he’s free agent, the Puerto Rican can look for the least packed infield depth chart and try to earn a spot in spring training in February.