The Baltimore Orioles granted a release to infielder Thairo Estrada on Monday. This comes after he opted out of the minor league deal he signed in February.
Orioles Release Thairo Estrada Following Opt-Out
Estrada struggled for the O’s throughout spring training. In nine games, he hit .080 (2-for-25) with no home runs, one RBI, and nine strikeouts. Had he cracked the Orioles roster, they might have had a versatile utilityman for their infield, but the 30-year-old is now a free agent once again. Estrada last played for the Colorado Rockies, hitting .253 with three homers, 21 RBI, and a .655 OPS in 39 games last year, his only season in Colorado. After parts of two seasons with the New York Yankees, with whom he debuted, Estrada spent four seasons with the San Francisco Giants before the team waived him in 2024. In his time by the Bay, he hit .254 with 44 homers, 180 RBI, and a .700 OPS.
Thairo Estrada Granted Release After Opting Out Of Orioles Deal https://t.co/6EaGtShDcA pic.twitter.com/Sl05822X8i
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) March 23, 2026
If he signs elsewhere, Estrada can provide a decent glove (.984 career fielding percentage), positional versatility (he’s played second base, shortstop, and left field so far in his MLB career), and a small amount of power. His career high in home runs for a season is 14, which he did twice with the Giants in 2022 and 2023.
Baltimore’s Other Monday Moves
The Orioles also reassigned two players to minor league camp on Monday. One was catcher Maverick Handley, whose chances of making the roster were limited due to Baltimore’s catching depth. With Adley Rutschman and rookie Samuel Basallo in the mix, Handley appears to remain some time away from getting steady big-league reps, although he did see action in 16 major league games last season. This spring, he went 1-for-13 at the plate with two runs scored in 12 games.
The other player reassigned was Jhonkensy Noel. Joining the Orioles organization after his tenure with the Cleveland Guardians, “Big Christmas” does not hit for average, but provides some big-time pop in the right spots, as the New York Yankees found out the hard way during the 2024 American League Championship Series.
JHONKENSY NOEL TIES IT WITH A PINCH HIT HOME RUN! BIG CHRISTMAS!!!! pic.twitter.com/lNI52HYw0Y
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 18, 2024
Noel had a strong spring training, hitting .364 with two homers and eight RBI in 14 games, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him on the major league roster later this season.
Main Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
