One of the small number of benefits of being a rebuilding team is that it’s easier to offer an opportunity to former prospects who’ve never quite put it together in hopes that here and now is where and when they can finally make it click. One of those former top prospects, Jorge Mateo, was designated for assignment by the Padres earlier in the week. The Orioles took the opportunity to scoop Mateo off the waiver wire.
The cruel nature of baseball roster moves of this sort is that someone’s new opportunity is the end of someone else’s opportunity.