Teheran, Wong joining O's on Minor League deals
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SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles are adding needed starting depth and important infield depth in the form of two veterans with lengthy big league r¨¦sum¨¦s.
Julio Teheran agreed to terms with Baltimore on a Minor League deal with an invitation to big league Spring Training, the club announced on Wednesday. The 33-year-old will earn $2 million if he makes the Majors on a deal that features a $100,000 signing bonus and an opt-out clause.
The O's also signed two-time Gold Glove Award-winning infielder Kolten Wong to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training.
A two-time All-Star, Teheran has spent the bulk of his MLB career with Atlanta, recording a 3.67 ERA in 229 games (226 starts) from 2011-19. Orioles bench coach Fredi Gonz¨¢lez managed the Braves from 2011-16. Teheran will also reunite with two former teammates -- ace Corbin Burnes ('23 in Milwaukee) and closer Craig Kimbrel (2011-14 in Atlanta).
¡°I just think we're adding depth,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°You can never have enough pitching, so to bring in another guy that's got a lot of Major League experience, been a starter in this league for a long time, we're going to take a look and hopefully he can help us.¡±
Teheran hasn¡¯t made many big league appearances since leaving Atlanta. He had a 10.05 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) for the Angels in 2020. In '21, he made one start for the Tigers before being shut down with a right shoulder injury that ended his season.
After pitching in multiple independent leagues in 2022, Teheran made it back to MLB in '23, when he posted a 4.40 ERA in 14 games (11 starts) for the Brewers.
¡°We're going to evaluate him and see where he is,¡± Hyde said.
The Orioles are set to open the 2024 season without two key members of their rotation. Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) is heading to the injured list, while John Means (left elbow recovery) is also expected to be going on the IL.
Baltimore still has five solid big league-caliber rotation options in Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin. But the club doesn¡¯t have many experienced starters to compete with that group in camp.
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As for Wong, the left-handed-hitting 33-year-old joins a middle-infield mix that includes Ram¨®n Ur¨ªas, Jordan Westburg and Jorge Mateo, all of whom bat right-handed. It remains to be seen whether Wong can win a spot on the Opening Day roster, but if the Orioles are looking for a veteran lefty bat for their bench, he may prove to be a fit.
¡°Just adding another player that we're very familiar with and has been a Major League second baseman for a long time, we're just continuing to add talented guys,¡± Hyde said. ¡°Veteran presence is important, also, so we¡¯ll see how Kolten fits.¡±
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Orioles general manager Mike Elias has stated his desire to have a left-handed hitter who can play second base on the 26-man roster. Wong will join Jackson Holliday (MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect) and utility man Nick Maton as players who could fill that role.
Wong is an 11-year big league veteran who has won two Gold Gloves at second (2019 and '20 with St. Louis). He has spent the bulk of his career with the Cardinals (eight seasons) and the Brewers (two), but he split the 2023 season between the Mariners (67 games) and the Dodgers (20).
Last year, Wong had a .183/.256/.263 slash line with four homers and 27 RBIs. The 33-year-old is a career .256 hitter.