Orioles lose pitcher Tim Berry on waiver claim

The Orioles reduced their 40-man roster to 39 players by exposing left-hander Tim Berry to waivers and losing him on a claim by the Marlins.

In the blink of an eye, the Orioles learned today that they surrendered Berry to the Marlins, infielder Rey Navarro to the Angels and left-hander Edgar Olmos to the Cubs.

I erroneously tweeted this afternoon that the Marlins claimed Olmos before I quickly made the correction. I knew Miami took one of the Orioles' left-handers. I just had the wrong one.

Berry, 24, was a highly-rated pitching prospect the past two years before faltering in 2015 and losing his place in Double-A Bowie's rotation. The Orioles called him up to the majors for one day on June 6, 2014 before optioning him to make room for Kevin Gausman.

Berry was a nice story based on his selection in the 50th round of the 2009 draft out of San Marcos (Calif.) High School. He tumbled to the bottom due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament and accepted a $125,000 signing bonus.

It looked like a wise investment as Berry went 11-7 with a 3.85 ERA in 27 starts at Single-A Frederick in 2013 and posted a 1.84 ERA in seven appearances in the Arizona Fall League. He was 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA last year at Bowie, justifying his spot on the 40-man roster, but he took a huge step backward this summer.

Berry made 15 starts at Bowie before going to the bullpen for eight appearances and finishing 2-7 with a 7.32 ERA 1.713 WHIP in 82 1/3 innings. The Orioles still projected him as a starter, but they needed him to work through his problems outside the rotation.

Fastball command was an issue, along with Berry's tendency to overthink on the mound. He's one of the most cerebral and thoughtful players I've interviewed, dazzling the media in spring training with his in-depth answers, and he's still in his early 20s.

Baseball America ranked Berry as the Orioles' No. 7 prospect last winter.

Vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson had invited Berry to work out with him in California.

The Orioles don't figure to make any more roster moves tonight and the warehouse is closed for the holidays, but they've created an opening on the 40-man roster for a future signing or acquisition. And deals still can be made during this span. That's why cell phones were invented.