The Orioles won’t satisfy relief pitcher Pedro Araujo’s remaining Rule 5 requirement as the 25-year-old was designated for assignment prior to Wednesday’s series finale in Toronto.
The right-hander could have been optioned to the minor leagues by mid-April, but general manager Mike Elias instead chose to remove Araujo from the 40-man roster to make room for Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Matt Wotherspoon and give the Orioles more length in the bullpen. Araujo had appeared in only one game this season, surrendering a two-run home run and recording only two outs in Monday’s win over the Blue Jays.
Selected by former executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette in the Rule 5 draft preceding the 2018 season, Araujo had shown a lively arm, but Wednesday’s news was a clear indication that Elias didn’t have the same lofty opinion of him. Araujo missed much of last season with an elbow injury, which prevented from serving the requisite number of days on the active roster, rolling over his Rule 5 status to the start of this season. He posted a 7.71 ERA and averaged 9.3 strikeouts and 5.8 walks per nine innings in 28 frames.
Araujo will now be placed on waivers and would be offered back to his original organization — the Chicago Cubs — if he goes unclaimed by another club.
Wotherspoon, 27, had yet to make his major league debut and was acquired from the New York Yankees in 2017. He posted a 4.60 ERA in 94 innings for the Tides last season. His stay on the 25-man roster could be brief with veteran starting pitcher Alex Cobb set to come off the injured list on Thursday to start Baltimore’s home opener.
