2 days Ago By Anthony Franco, MLB Trade Rumors
The Orioles announced this evening that Nick Maton cleared outright waivers. He accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk instead of electing free agency. Baltimore had designated Maton and lefty Cole Irvin for assignment on Saturday; the Twins claimed Irvin off waivers.
Maton has had a pair of brief stints on the major league roster. He has picked up five at-bats, going hitless with a couple strikeouts. The 27-year-old infielder has had a strong year with Norfolk.
Maton has hit 16 homers with an excellent 13.2% walk rate en route to a .261/.
368/.477 slash in 86 games. He carries a .
251/.367/.431 batting line in a little more than 1000 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level.
A former 7th-round pick by the Phillies, Maton went to the Tigers as part of the Gregory Soto trade return. He appeared in a career-high 93 games with Detroit last season but struggled on both sides of the ball. Maton hit .
173/.288/.305 in 249 plate appearances.
That and his out-of-options status have led teams to pass on claiming him for the second time this year. Maton will stick around as non-roster infield depth. He’d be eligible for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason if the Orioles don’t call him back up.
This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission..
