As spring training heats up and the MLB regular season looms, teams are finalizing their rosters, hoping to strike gold with late offseason signings. While it's rare for veteran position players signed this late to dramatically shift a team's fortunes, the Baltimore Orioles are hoping for a spark with their latest acquisition.
On Monday, the Orioles added a seasoned infielder, Thairo Estrada, to their mix. Estrada, 30, joins the team on a minor-league contract with a non-roster invite to spring training. This move, noted in the league's official transactions, might just be a clever under-the-radar addition for Baltimore.
Estrada enjoyed some impressive seasons from 2021 to 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, showcasing his skills across 312 games. During this period, he posted a respectable .266/.320/.416 slash line, with 35 homers, 133 RBIs, and crossing the plate 153 times. These numbers highlight his potential to be a solid contributor when he's on his game.
However, the road hasn't been smooth lately for Estrada. The past two seasons have been challenging, to say the least.
In 2024, a tough year led to a negative-WAR season, prompting the Giants to remove him from their 40-man roster. His luck didn't improve much with the Colorado Rockies last year, as a fractured wrist sidelined him early, and he struggled to regain form, ending with another negative-WAR season.
With over five years of major league service, Estrada's contract likely includes an opt-out clause. This would allow him to explore free agency again if he doesn't make the Orioles' major league roster by a certain point this spring, even if he starts the season in the minors.
Estrada made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 2019 and has accumulated 4.4 bWAR and 436 hits over his seven partial seasons. The Orioles are betting that he can tap back into his previous form and add depth to their infield options. If he can rediscover his groove, Estrada might just be the savvy pickup the Orioles need.