Baltimore Orioles claim Vance Worley off waivers

In an endless search for pitching depth, the Baltimore Orioles have claimed 28 year old right-hander Vance Worley off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Worley is coming off of his second season with Pittsburgh, where he held a 4-6 record with a 4.02 ERA in 23 games with eight starts.

Worley was the Philadelphia Phillies’ third round pick in the 2008 draft, and had a fantastic rookie season in 2011, going 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA, finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Worley regressed in 2012, going 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA in 23 starts, a year in which he reached his career high in innings pitched with 133.  Worley was later traded to the Minnesota Twins, yet after a lackluster 2013 campaign, he was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he would spend both 2014 and 2015.

The addition is a low-risk, high reward claim from the Orioles, who hope to add to a pitching staff that proved to be their Achilles’ heel, failing to qualify for the postseason. Worley is not overpowering, featuring a four-seam fastball that tops out at 89-92 mph, therefore making him perhaps more reliant on his offspeed repertoire.

Worley has claimed most of his strikeout victims with his slider, an 85-87 mph pitch with excellent horizontal, downward movement. The hurler also occasionally utilizes a mid to upper 70s curveball, which has also proven to be an effective strikeout pitch.

The 28 year old can expect to be given a very good opportunity at breaking camp with the O’s in 2016, with his role most likely being a long reliever and/or spot starter. His addition can prove to be very valuable for Baltimore, especially if Worley proves to be effective as an extra bullpen arm or potentially a fifth starter’s role.