BALTIMORE — With September bringing the perk of an expanded roster, the Orioles have summoned an old friend and will provide the first major league taste to one of their top prospects.
Veteran slugger Pedro Alvarez and rookie catcher Chance Sisco headlined a list of promotions that also included outfielder Joey Rickard and right-handed relief pitchers Jimmy Yacabonis and Richard Rodriguez on Friday afternoon. Baltimore designated right-handers Tyler Wilson and Logan Verrett for assignment to make the necessary room on the 40-man roster.
Signed to a minor-league deal in March, Alvarez spent the entire season at Triple-A Norfolk and hit 26 home runs with a .737 on-base plus slugging percentage for the Tides. The 30-year-old spent 2016 in Baltimore and hit 22 homers with an .826 OPS, but his significant defensive limitations left him without a major league job this past offseason. He had been learning to play the outfield in the first half of the season at Norfolk, but the experiment was largely abandoned as he played first base in the second half.
Manager Buck Showalter confirmed that Sisco’s promotion is expected to be more of a learning experience rather than an audition, especially with incumbents Welington Castillo and Caleb Joseph playing so well. Ranked as Baltimore’s No. 1 prospect in Baseball American’s mid-season top 10 list, the 22-year-old hit .267 with seven homers, 23 doubles, and a .736 OPS at Norfolk this season and was invited to take part in the MLB All-Star Futures Game for the second straight year.
Sisco’s locker was placed next to Joseph’s, a deliberate move to help the highly-regarded talent better learn his trade from an above-average defensive catcher.
Rickard is back with the Orioles after a two-week stint at Norfolk that allowed the club to begin carrying Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander on the 25-man roster in mid-August. Yacabonis has also spent time with Baltimore this season, allowing five earned runs and walking six in 6 1/3 innings.
Rodriguez, 27, has yet to make his major league debut, but he posted a 2.42 ERA in 70 2/3 innings and recorded 10 saves for the Tides this season to earn the promotion.
