About two weeks after losing his spot in the rotation, Steve Trachsel officially lost his place on the Orioles' roster as the veteran right-hander was designated for assignment yesterday. The Orioles selected the contract of Triple-A Norfolk infielder Oscar Salazar to replace him.
The Orioles now have 10 days to trade Trachsel, release him or outright him to the minors. It's unlikely Trachsel would accept a minor league assignment, meaning his days as an Oriole are probably numbered. Trachsel, 37, who was 2-5 with an 8.39 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) for the Orioles this season, left the visiting clubhouse yesterday at Fenway Park before reporters were allowed in.
Orioles manager Dave Trembley said Trachsel wasn't surprised by the move because it had been speculated about since he lost his spot in the Orioles' rotation.
"He didn't pitch good enough, bottom line," Trembley said. "To be honest with you, I don't think he was ever comfortable pitching out of the bullpen. We have to move on, and we did. ... Everybody saw the way he pitched; let that all speak for itself. I'm not going to address anything in particular. You know, we made the move, and that should be self-explanatory. Now we go on to something else."
Trachsel signed with the Orioles as a free agent before the 2007 season and went 6-8 with a respectable 4.48 ERA before they traded him to the Chicago Cubs. Seeking to add a veteran presence and an innings-eater to their staff, the Orioles re-signed him this offseason. However, in four of his eight starts, Trachsel couldn't go more than three innings. In two relief outings, he allowed four earned runs in six innings.
It was expected Trachsel would be the odd man out when the Orioles added another hitter to their bench when they play at National League ballparks this month. However, Trachsel's last outing, in which he gave up four runs (two earned) in an inning of relief against the Toronto Blue Jays, accelerated the Orioles' decision.
After impressing team officials in spring training, Salazar, 29, batted .311 with seven home runs and 44 RBIs for Norfolk. He hadn't been in the major leagues since appearing in eight games for the Detroit Tigers in 2002. Trembley plans to use him mostly as a right-handed hitter off the bench. The Orioles will face a left-handed starter in four of the next five games.
