ORLANDO, Fla. — With one week remaining before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, the Orioles added a new name to their 40-man roster Wednesday when they acquired utility man Nick Maton from the Detroit Tigers for cash.
Maton, 26, was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Monday after a 2023 campaign in which the left-handed hitter slashed .173/.288/.305 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 93 games. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies has logged starts all over the diamond during his three-year MLB career, including at shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield.
The move pushed the Orioles to 39 players on their 40-man roster. Maton, who batted .293/.414/.457 in 38 games at Triple-A Toledo last season, will face an uphill battle cracking the opening day roster with Baltimore boasting strong depth in both the infield and the outfield. He remains out of options and would be subject to waivers if the Orioles wanted him to begin the season in Triple-A Norfolk.
Maton, who made Philadelphia’s World Series roster in 2022, is the second infielder the Orioles have acquired from the Tigers in a matter of weeks after they landed Tyler Nevin in a similar deal Jan. 22. Nevin, who spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in Baltimore, was also designated for assignment by Detroit before being scooped up by the Orioles in a cash trade.