The Orioles announced that they have designated a left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment. His roster spot goes to a fellow lefty Cole Irvinwhom the club acquired from the A’s in a trade.
Few pitchers in the game can match the 26-year-old Hernandez’s ability to miss bats — evidenced by a 32.3% strikeout rate in 85 1/3 innings at the MLB level. However, even fewer struggle with their command to the same extent as Hernandez, who also walked 17.7% of his opponents as a big leaguer. He nevertheless managed a sharp 3.17 ERA with the Red Sox from 2020-21, but the 2022 season was a nightmare; Hernandez was shelled for 17 runs (16 earned) in just 6 2/3 innings with Boston this past season. The Sox designated him for assignment earlier in the winter, and the O’s picked him up in a trade sending cash back to Boston. Overall, he has a 5.06 ERA during his 85 2/3 frames in the Majors.
Even with that poor command, Hernandez could intrigue other clubs. Controllable, hard-throwing lefties who avoid hard contact and have a minor league option remaining aren’t necessarily easy to come by. The Orioles will have a week to trade Hernandez or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. In the event that he goes through unclaimed waivers, the Orioles could assign Hernandez outright to their Triple-A affiliate, thereby keeping him in the organization without the need to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him.
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