Baltimore Orioles Acquire Jordan Kipper from Angels
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired pitcher Jordan Kipper from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for pitcher Damien Magnifico.
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired right-handed pitcher Jordan Kipper from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for right-handed pitcher Damien Magnifico.
Magnifico had been designated for assignment earlier this week in order for the Baltimore Orioles to have space for Francisco Pena on their 40-man roster.
This is a relatively minor move in which both teams are swapping medium-level pitching prospects to each other. Neither pitcher is projected to be an ace or anything, but both Magnifico and Kipper have chances at being decent MLB relievers.
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Kipper is 24-years-old and has been pitching pretty well in the Angels minor league system so far this year. In Double-A, Kipper has pitched 31 innings in five started games with a 1.74 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a 5.23 K/9.
Kipper started 25 games last year in the Angels Double-A affiliate, pitching to a 3.35 ERA with five K/9.
Kipper is a groundball pitcher who is quite good at pitching to weak contact. He’s got a sinker that hits anywhere from 88-94 MPH, which helps with the groundballs. He’s also got a decent slider and changeup, and a get-me-over curveball that isn’t anything particularly special.
Kipper has been a starter in the minors so far and will likely be starting for the Orioles at Triple-A Norfolk. Depending on how he does there (especially if he continues his success from this season), it’s conceivable that he could make his way up to the majors at some point.
As for Magnifico, he profiles mostly as a reliever in the majors. He throws a fastball that can touch 100 MPH sometimes, and sits consistently around 95, but he has below-average control, which will likely relegate him to only being a reliever.
He also lacks a reliable off-speed pitch of any kind, especially one to complement his elite fastball and really take him to the next level.
Magnifico has had a rough season in Triple-A Norfolk, pitching to a 9.95 ERA and a 2.53 WHIP in 6.1 innings for the team.
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Ultimately this a minor move that will likely have very little effect overall on the team, however it does seem that the Orioles ended up with the better, or at least safer, pitcher in this deal.