Orioles claim Cave off waivers from Twins

The Orioles made their second roster move since ending the 2022 season, claiming outfielder Jake Cave off waivers from the Twins today and designating reliever Jake Reed for assignment.

An industry source confirmed the waiver claim, which appeared on the major league transactions page.

Cave, 29, appeared in 54 games with the Twins and batted .213/.260/.384 with seven doubles, three triples, five home runs and 20 RBIs in 177 plate appearances. He’s a career .235/.297/.411 hitter in parts of five major league seasons.

The Yankees selected Cave in the sixth round of the 2011 draft out of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Va. The Reds chose him in the 2015 Rule 5 draft and returned him on April 5, 2016. The Yankees traded Cave to the Twins on March 16, 2018 for pitcher Luis Gil.

As a rookie in 2018, Cave batted .265/.313/.473 with 16 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 91 games. He hasn’t played a full season in the majors, with those 91 games representing his career high.

The 40-man roster remains full, and the Orioles are deep in outfielders. Cave, a left-handed hitter, has mostly played center but also is experienced at the corners.

Baseball-Reference.com calculates Cave’s dWAR at -0.8.

The Orioles claimed Reed off waivers from the Dodgers on Sept. 5 and he made eight relief appearances, allowing four earned runs (six total) and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He also pitched for the Mets this season.

Reed didn’t allow a run in his first three appearances with the Orioles. His last game was Sept. 27 in Boston, when he was charged with two earned runs and four total and didn’t retire a batter. The Orioles optioned him the next day.

The offseason began with the Orioles selecting catcher Anthony Bemboom’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk and designating reliever Anthony Castro for assignment. Castro cleared outright waivers yesterday and was assigned to the Tides.