If the Baltimore Orioles are going to go from worst to first in the American League East, some unexpected contributors must step up in the bullpen.
Beyond free-agent acquisition Ryan Helsley, who projects to be the Baltimore closer, the bullpen is a bit of a hodgepodge. Yennier Cano was once an All-Star but may be fighting for his roster spot, Keegan Akin is fairly locked into his role, and Andrew Kittredge is the only other name of note after coming over in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
With all that in mind, the Orioles were a prime destination this winter for fringe major leaguers looking to win a job in a bullpen somewhere. On Tuesday, one of those fringy pitchers joined the organization.
According to the official transactions log, the Orioles signed 27-year-old right-hander Hans Crouse to a minor-league contract. Crouse has pitched in 27 major league games, most recently in 2024.
Crouse, who tore his lat at the beginning of the Triple-A season last year and was released by the Los Angeles Angels, can be seen throwing off a mound for the first time since the injury in a clip shared to Instagram by Ryan Aguirre of Fusion Sport Science.
Crouse was a second-round pick for the Texas Rangers in 2017 out of high school, then debuted in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies for two games in 2023. He elected free agency that winter, signed with the Angels, and went on to have a strong summer before being optioned to Triple-A, somewhat inexplicably, in August.
In his 25 games with the Angels, Crouse posted a 2.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. Roster mechanics are never as simple as they appear on the surface, but he had to feel as though he didn’t earn that demotion, even if he returned for one more game in September.
With the Orioles, Crouse hopes to prove he can stick in a big-league bullpen once and for all.