Facing upcoming roster decisions regarding several of their regular infielders, the Orioles on Friday made a move to bolster their depth in that department, claiming former Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sánchez off waivers from the White Sox.

A glove-first switch-hitter who can play all three infield positions, S¨¢nchez, 28, split a truncated 2020 season between the Giants and White Sox. He appeared in 11 games for Chicago, where he spent the previous six seasons and much of 2017-19 as its everyday second baseman. S¨¢nchez led the American League in triples in 2018 and won his Gold Glove Award in '19, racking up four Defensive Runs Saved, a 4.9 Ultimate Zone Rating and one Out Above Average, per Statcast, that season.

But rather than the pay him a hefty raise through arbitration, the White Sox non-tendered S¨¢nchez shortly after he claimed Gold. He signed a Minor League deal with the Giants but never appeared in a game for them and was released in August, returning to the White Sox later that month. He remains arbitration-eligible and under team control through 2022.

"He¡¯s a very good player. I can see him helping us in a number of ways," general manager Mike Elias said. "He can move around all three infield spots and is a plus defender at second and third. ¡­ I can also see him battling for a primary job. There are a lot of ways he fits and helps the team."

All told, S¨¢nchez has hit .245 with 32 home runs, 30 stolen bases and a .660 OPS (81 OPS+) across parts of seven big league seasons, all with the White Sox. His best season came in 2017, when he hit .267 with 12 homers, 59 RBIs and a .732 OPS in 141 games, producing 3.2 Wins Above Replacement per Baseball Reference. From 2017-19, his 10 DRS ranked tied for fifth among AL second baseman.

? Case for/against O's bringing back Iglesias

In Baltimore, S¨¢nchez profiles as versatile middle-infield depth for a club that, by winter's end, could find itself without its primary shortstop and second baseman from a year ago. The Orioles must decide by Sunday whether to exercise José Iglesias¡¯ $3.5 million team option and feature second-year eligible Hanser Alberto as part of their seven-player arbitration class. Neither are guaranteed to return for an Orioles team that operated with MLB¡¯s lowest payroll in 2020 and faces financial uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

What¡¯s immediately clear is the boost S¨¢nchez brings to the Orioles¡¯ infield defense, which, forced to play long stretches without Iglesias due to injury, ranked as baseball¡¯s second worst unit in 2020 by Outs Above Average. One of the first offseason moves the O¡¯s made was choosing not to renew the contract of third-base coach Jose Flores, who oversaw the club¡¯s infield instruction.