The Baltimore Orioles are always making critical roster decisions at the conclusion of a losing season.
This is not meant to be a reconstruction. Even though the Orioles have improved as a team since their disastrous 16-34 start, they still have a lot of issues to resolve by March if they hope to compete for an American League East championship this year.
The Orioles were able to get a look at some youngsters who didn’t necessarily project to be a major part of the future but potentially carve out bench or utility roles for themselves if they stepped up by trading away a ton of veterans at the July deadline.
Infielder Emmanuel Rivera’s time with the Orioles has hit another roadblock. The team announced that he had been designated for assignment to make room for Jordan Westburg, who was activated from the injured list. The Orioles also reinstated left-handed pitcher José Castillo, recently claimed off waivers from the Mariners, while sending fellow lefty Grant Wolfram down to Triple-A Norfolk.
Rivera’s latest DFA marks the third time Baltimore has removed him from the roster since claiming him off waivers from the Marlins last August. The first two times, he cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. Whether that happens again this time remains uncertain.
At the major league level this season, Rivera has struggled to produce. In 42 games, he hit just .250 with a .291 on-base percentage and a .283 slugging percentage, failing to record a home run. That’s a far cry from the potential he flashed earlier in his career. Rivera was once seen as a promising young infielder with the Diamondbacks, even earning a spot on their 2023 World Series roster, but his performance has steadily declined since then.
Now 29 years old, Rivera has already played parts of five big-league seasons, suiting up for four different organizations since being drafted in the 19th round by the Kansas City Royals. His journey shows the challenges of staying in the majors, and it remains to be seen if another team will take a chance on him, or if his future lies back in the minors.