Orioles Select Contract of Catcher; Prevents Him From Becoming Free Agent

He joined the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason on a minor league contract and made the Opening Day roster for the 2022 season before being designated for assignment once Adley Rutschman was called up. 

Now, the Orioles have selected the contract of catcher Anthony Bemboom from Triple-A Norfolk. 

The Orioles have made their first offseason move, selecting catcher Anthony Bemboom’s contract and designating right-hander Anthony Castro for assignment.

— Nathan Ruiz (@NathanSRuiz) October 6, 2022

This move prevents Bemboom from becoming a minor league free agent and, because he has just one year of major league service time, the Orioles can retain him at a cheap price to be their backup catcher. The current backup catcher, Robinson Chirinos, is a pending free agent. As a result, Bemboom has a legitimate chance to open the 2023 season as the backup to Adley Rutschman. 

The thirty-two-year-old slashed an unremarkable .228/.292/.642, with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 18 runs scored over 123 at-bats in the minors this season. 

Bemboom is a former 22nd-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2012 MLB Draft. 

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports