Codi Heuer’s path through the 2026 season kept getting rerouted, and now it has landed him in a familiar spot: organizational depth.
The Orioles announced Saturday that Heuer cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk, giving him a minor league home heading into what could be a chaotic offseason. He won’t be in Baltimore’s big league plans right now, but he will stay in the system and have a chance to pitch in 2027.
Heuer’s journey this year started with the Guardians, who brought him in during the offseason as a low-risk bullpen option. He earned a 40-man roster spot after a strong spring, even though his numbers in camp were uneven. He posted a 9.00 ERA in eight innings, but he also struck out 11 batters and reached 97 miles per hour with his fastball.
Cleveland called him up in mid-May to replace Franco Aleman in the bullpen, and that began a four-week stint on the major league roster. He showed a little length with a two-inning outing against the Nationals, but the overall results were mixed. He struck out just 13% of the hitters he faced and allowed a hard-hit rate of 52%.
By the time his season was over, Heuer had a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 big league appearances with the Guardians. He was then part of the August trade with the Brewers, a deal that also involved Craig Yoho, Blake Perkins and catcher Bo Naylor. Milwaukee later flipped Heuer to Baltimore at the deadline.
Heuer never got into a game for the Orioles in 2026, but he did turn in 14 2/3 scoreless innings at Triple-A Norfolk. He only made four appearances in September, though, and his injury history still makes him a tough player to count on every day. He missed more than three years because of various arm injuries.
Even so, the Orioles have kept him around as a depth arm, and that matters with the minor leagues staying untouched by the impending lockout. If Heuer can build on what he showed last season, he’ll have a shot to work his way back into big league consideration once baseball returns.
In Other News...
Two Guardians Pitching Prospects Are Starting To Look Like Real 2027 Options
The Guardians have spent years building around pitching depth, and two names are starting to stand out as possible pieces for the next wave. Justin Campbell, 25, has the kind of fastball and pitch mix that can keep moving him forward, and his work as a multi-inning reliever in 2026 gave Cleveland a better sense of how his stuff might translate when the games get bigger. He is not alone in that conversation, either, with another arm in the system beginning to push into the picture.
Rafe Schlesinger, a 23-year-old left-hander with a delivery that makes him a little different from the usual prospect, also turned in a solid 2026 and appears likely to open 2027 in Double-A. From there, the path is simple in theory and never simple in practice: keep throwing strikes, keep missing bats, and force the organization to make room. For a club that always seems to need more pitching, both arms are at least making the case that 2027 could be their year to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Enter Offseason With One Big Core Decision Looming
The Guardians are heading into the offseason with plenty to feel good about after reaching the American League Championship Series in 2026, even if the finish left a sting. Cleveland had a 2-1 series lead before dropping the next three games to the Tampa Bay Rays, a reminder of how thin the margin can be at that stage. Even so, the club opened the winter ranked No. 9 in the first MLB power rankings after the World Series, a sign that the broader industry still sees this as a team built to contend.
What makes the coming months so interesting is how much of the next step will depend on the roster around the edges, not just the core already in place. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are all expected to play important roles going forward, but the front office also has to sort through the usual offseason noise, including trade speculation around outfielder Steven Kwan. For a team that just came within reach of the World Series, the biggest question is whether Cleveland keeps its group intact or uses the winter to reshape it. [Read more 🡒]
Tanner Bibee Sends Guardians Fans A Strong Message After Frustrating October
Tanner Bibee spent the 2026 regular season as one of the Guardians most durable arms, taking the ball 33 times and carrying a heavy load through a year that tested Clevelands rotation depth. October looked very different, though, as the right-hander was used sparingly in the postseason and made just one relief appearance, a jarring finish after a season that ended with a 7-15 record and the league lead in losses.
Even so, Bibees message to Guardians fans was clear: he is not backing away from the challenge in Cleveland. The five-year extension he signed keeps him under contract through 2029, and he said he expects to bounce back in 2027 and remain a central part of the rotation. For a team that has leaned on him through ups and downs, that kind of commitment matters as much as any single outing. [Read more 🡒]