The Orioles acquired left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuño from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday to add another long-relief option to their bullpen for the 2017 season.
Baltimore sent 22-year-old pitcher Ryan Moseley to the Dodgers and designated left-hander T.J. McFarland for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Nuño spent last season with Seattle, pitching to a 3.53 ERA in 58 2/3 innings. In November, the Mariners sent the 29-year-old to the Dodgers in exchange for veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz. Though he’s made 42 career starts in his four major league seasons, Nuño is expected to serve as a long reliever in a bullpen that also features left-handed closer Zach Britton and southpaw specialist Donnie Hart.
After struggling to a 6.93 ERA in Baltimore last season, McFarland was out of minor-league options — Nuño has one remaining — and must now pass through waivers before potentially being outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Moseley was selected in the eighth round of the 2016 draft and pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings for short-season Single-A Aberdeen.
In 329 1/3 career innings in the majors, Nuño owns a 4.02 ERA and has averaged 7.4 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings. The southpaw has given up 1.4 home runs per nine innings of work in his career and allowed 11 in his 2016 season. He also spent time with the New York Yankees and Arizona earlier in his major league career and was part of the 2015 trade between the Diamondbacks and Mariners that also included current Orioles Mark Trumbo and Welington Castillo.
Nuño is scheduled to play for Mexico in next month’s World Baseball Classic.
