Tucker Davidson was claiRaisel Iglesiasmed by the Orioles from the Royals.

The Orioles have claimed left-handed pitcher Tucker Davidson off waivers from the Royals. The Orioles already have a vacant roster spot and will not need to make a similar move.

Davidson, who turns 28 in March, was once a promising prospect in Atlanta’s system but has yet to live up to expectations. This has resulted in a somewhat erratic couple of years, beginning with a trade to the Angels in 2022 as part of the Raisel Iglesias transaction. However, a year later, he was designated for assignment by that club and was flipped to the Royals for cash. The Royals appear to have tried to pass him through waivers, but the Orioles rushed in and snatched him.

As a prospect, the lefty was a starter, but he pitched mostly in relief in 2023, most likely because he was out of options and couldn’t be simply transferred to the minors. In the bullpen, the outcomes were varied. On the negative side, he concluded the year with an ERA of 5.96 between the Angels and Royals, and a strikeout rate of 19.5%.

On the plus side, his walk rate of 8.1% and ground ball rate of 44.2% were both close to league average, and he was in the 81st percentile for reducing hard contact. His FIP and SIERA were both 4.27, indicating that his.358 batting average on balls in play and 63.1% strand rate both made his ERA appear worse than he perhaps deserved.

The Orioles already have a few left-handed relievers on the roster, including Cionel Pérez, DL Hall, Danny Coulombe, Nick Vespi, and Keegan Akin. However, some of those guys have options or may still be considered for entry-level positions. Adding Davidson provides them another option to add to the mix; however, the Orioles have a history of claiming players and then attempting to pass them through waivers late.