Baltimore Orioles Trade Ryan Webb to Dodgers
By Joe Serpico
The Orioles have completed just one series thus far in the 2015 season, but have been very active with their roster moves in the opening week.
Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com is reporting that the Orioles have traded relief pitcher Ryan Webb and catcher Brian Ward to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also released catcher J.P. Arencibia who was reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk.
(2/2)...in exchange for RHP Ryan Webb, minor league CA Brian Ward & Competitive Balance Round B pick (74th Overall) in the 2015 Draft.
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 9, 2015
The Orioles will also give up their competitive balance pick, which is No. 74. In return, the Orioles will receive catcher Chris O’Brien and pitcher Ben Rowen from Los Angeles.
(1/2) The Orioles have acquired minor league CA Chris O’Brien and RHP Ben Rowen from the Dodgers...
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 9, 2015
The abundance of catchers in Norfolk is no longer an issue for the Tide with Ward and Arencibia on their way out. The Orioles sent Steve Clevenger to the minors on Tuesday in order to add Chris Davis to their roster, a move Clevenger wasn’t too happy about.
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Webb, 29, posted an ERA of 6.75 this spring, giving up eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 6 2/3 innings pitched. He was 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 49 1/3 innings last year for the Orioles. He was designated for assignment on Monday, leaving the Orioles little choice to find a trade partner. The Dodgers will take on the $2.75 million left on Webb’s contract.
O’Brien is 25-years-old and a career minor leaguer. He sports a career .251/.316/403 line with 315 games of experience in the Dodgers farm system. He spent the 2014 season in Double-A Chattanooga, enjoying the best season to date, batting .266/.341/.438 with seven home runs and 53 RBI.
Ben Rowen is a right-handed pitcher who has gone 21-5 with a 1.72 ERA with 214 strikeouts and also has recorded 40 saves in 177 career minor league games. Rowen appeared in eight games with the Rangers last season, posting a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 innings.