The Orioles have designated infielder Terrin Vavra for assignment, per a team announcement. The move makes room on the active roster for first baseman Ryan Noda, who the club claimed off waivers from the White Sox yesterday.
Vavra, 28, was a third-rounder selected by the Rockies back in 2018. He was dealt to the Orioles prior to his big league debut as part of the Mychal Givens trade back in 2020 and then made his big league debut two years later. In 40 games with Baltimore that year, Vavra impressed with a roughly league average .258/.340/.337 slash line while playing both second base and the outfield. Vavra broke camp with the Orioles in 2023 but made it into just 27 games, hitting poorly in 56 plate appearances before he was shelved due to a shoulder strain. That shoulder injury eventually turned out to be a labrum tear, and Vavra underwent surgery to repair his shoulder in September 2023.
Vavra hasn’t appeared in the majors since. He returned to action at the Triple-A level early last year but was DFA’d and claimed by the Mariners over the summer. He didn’t make a big league appearance with Seattle, however, and was eventually outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster in September before he re-signed with the Orioles on a minor league deal. He’s been selected to the active roster twice this season, but has still not yet made an appearance in the majors in either of those call-ups. Vavra’s work in 59 games with Triple-A Norfolk has left something to be desired this year, however, as he’s posted a lackluster .247/.354/.341 slash line across 203 trips to the plate.
If Vavra goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll be able to either accept an outright assignment and return to Norfolk or elect free agency and become eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. Vavra’s departure from the roster makes room for Noda, who was plucked off waivers from the White Sox yesterday. The 29-year-old was a Rule 5 pick by the A’s back in 2023 and impressed over 128 games, slashing .229/.364/.409 with 39 extra-base hits and a 15.6% walk rate over 495 trips to the plate. He’s hit just .124/.266/.202 in 52 games since then, but with Ryan O’Hearn now in San Diego and the Orioles buried in the standings at this point Baltimore has little to lose by giving Noda a chance as a lefty bench bat who can chip in at first base and in the outfield, filling a role similar to the one O’Hearn had been brought in to plug before he broke out with the club back in 2023.