Baltimore Orioles sign SF Giants 2015 2nd-round pick to minor league deal

The Baltimore Orioles bolstered organizational depth recently. Former SF Giants pitching prospect and 2015 second-round pick Andrew Suárez has signed a minor league deal with the Orioles according to the team’s transaction log.

Baltimore Orioles sign SF Giants 2015 2nd-round pick to minor league deal

Presumably, this will include a camp invite, but it was not specified. Suárez’s pro career got off to an interesting start before he was even drafted by San Francisco. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 2011 draft out of Christopher Columbus High School, but he did not sign.

It is uncommon for players selected in the first 10 rounds to not sign, but it happens. The lefty pitcher was drafted again this time by the Washington Nationals in the second round of the 2014 draft but he did not sign. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the following draft and finally did sign, earning a bonus of just over $1 million.

As a prospect, Suárez was not an overpowering pitcher, relying more on command and a quality, four-pitch mix to generate outs from the left side. He flashed a low-90’s four-seam fastball that he paired with a changeup, curveball, and slider. Suárez had the profile of a back end starter with a pitchability-over-stuff pedigree.

Given this, it was no surprise to see the lefty-handed hurler perform well in the minors and move quickly up the ladder, reaching Triple-A by the 2017 season. He debuted for San Francisco early in the 2018 and put up promising overall numbers as he posted a 4.49 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, and a 2.89 SO/W ratio in 160.1 frames. Not overwhelming numbers, but acceptable for a fifth starter.

However, he was unable to replicate those numbers and fell down the organizational depth chart over the next two seasons with San Francisco. Following the 2020 season, the Giants parted ways with him so that he could pursue an opportunity with the LG Twins of the KBO. The southpaw pitcher even earned an All-Star bid in 2021 with the Twins.

Suárez spent the 2022 season in the NPB and returned stateside to join the St. Louis Cardinals organization last year. He spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A but tallied a 7.16 ERA in 13 appearances before becoming a free agent again earlier this offseason. He now joins an Orioles team that won 101 games in 2023 and looks poised to reach the playoffs again in 2024.