Orioles announce three minor league signings

Today’s Orioles activity centers on minor league depth.

The team announced that its signed catcher David Bañuelos and right-handers Yaramil Hiraldo and Rodolfo Martinez to minor league contracts for the 2025 season.

Bañuelos, 28, agreed to terms on Oct. 14, which I wrote about the following day. He could have become a free agent five days after the World Series, but the Orioles got an early start on negotiations.

The sides struck their first deal on Dec. 30, 2023 and Bañuelos spent most of this season on the Orioles’ taxi squad. He hopped on and off the 40-man roster a few times this season and received his first and only major league at-bat on April 16 against the Twins. He flied to right field in the ninth inning.

Appearing in only 22 games with Triple-A Norfolk, Bañuelos hit .225/.361/.352 with three doubles and two home runs. He’s playing in the Dominican Winter League.

Norfolk's roster also includes catchers Samuel Basallo and Maverick Handley. Basallo is the No. 2 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline, and No. 13 in baseball. Handley is eligible again for the Rule 5 draft unless the Orioles put him on the 40-man roster.

Hiraldo, who turns 29 on New Year’s Eve, was in the Diamondbacks organization from 2018-21. He pitched in the independent Atlantic League the next two summers, his career also winding through Venezuela, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, and competed in the Mexican League this year.

Hiraldo made 24 relief appearances with Caliente de Durango and posted a 2.05 ERA and 0.773 WHIP with 27 strikeouts in 22 innings.

Martinez, 30, was in the Giants organization from 2014-19. He appeared in 206 games and registered a 4.63 ERA and 1.595 WHIP over 252 2/3 innings.

The rest of Martinez’s baseball career was spent in the Dominican Republic until he latched on with Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican League this year, where he made 19 relief appearances and had a 5.79 ERA and 1.500 WHIP. He walked nine batters in 18 2/3 innings.