The roster move registered with barely a blip last Nov. 24: Orioles claim Cionel Pérez off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
Yawn. At the time, it seemed just another in an endless line of inconsequential waiver claims, another pickup of a no-name, roster-filler journeyman. Most Orioles fans, hoping for the club to make a splashy move before the impending Dec. 1 lockout, paid no mind to the minor addition of a control-challenged left-hander who might never pitch for the team.
Little did we know then that the Orioles had just taken a giant step toward transforming their bullpen into one of the most reliable units in baseball.