The Orioles announced that right-hander Chris Vallimont has been claimed off waivers from the Twins. Vallimont was designated for assignment by Minnesota earlier this week. To open up a 40-man roster spot, Baltimore moved Alexander Wells (who is recovering from a UCL strain) to the 60-day injured list.
Vallimont was assigned to the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate, and the righty has a 6.71 ERA over 110 innings at the Double-A level in the Twins organization. The Marlins selected Vallimont in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, then swapped him along with Sergio Romo in the July 2019 trade that sent Lewin Diaz to Miami. After a solid 2019 season, Vallimont didn’t play in 2020 due to the canceled minor league campaign, and has since struggled in his return to the field.
A lack of control has been Vallimont’s biggest problem, as he has an ugly 15.85% walk rate over his 110 Double-A innings. However, the righty’s 28.3% strikeout rate surely caught Baltimore’s attention, and his Vallimont’s potential as reliever. Vallimont has started 62 of his 64 career games in the pros, and if he can’t get on track as a starting pitcher, his ability to miss bats could play well out of a bullpen.