Orioles sign Kolten Wong, Julio Teheran to minor-league deals
The Baltimore Orioles brought a pair of veterans into camp, signing right-hander Julio Teheran and second baseman Kolten Wong to minor-league contracts, they announced Wednesday.
Both agreements include invitations to big-league spring training.
Teheran will earn a salary of $2 million if he makes the team and a $100,000 signing bonus, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. His deal also contains an opt-out clause.
Teheran will provide the Orioles with some proven depth in the rotation in light of injuries to Kyle Bradish and John Means.
Bradish is expected to miss the beginning of the regular season with a UCL sprain, while Means is continuing to build up after an elbow issue delayed his offseason program.
Teheran spent the 2023 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 71 2/3 innings.
The 33-year-old has also made stops with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Angels, making a pair of All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2016.
Wong, meanwhile, joins a deep group of infielders vying for a reserve job with the reigning AL East champions. He could also emerge as a possibility to be Baltimore's Opening Day second baseman if top prospect Jackson Holliday doesn't make the team.
Besides Holliday, Wong's competition includes utility players Jorge Mateo and Nick Maton, and fellow former Gold Glove winner Ramón Urías.
Wong, 33, hit a career-worst .183/.256/.263 last season with four homers and 27 RBIs in 87 games split between the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared to rediscover his stroke late in the year, though, posting a .853 OPS in 34 at-bats for Los Angeles down the stretch.
Wong owns a lifetime .256/.330/.390 slash line with 86 homers, 405 RBIs, and 120 stolen bases across 11 big-league seasons with four teams. The Hawaii native is best known for his defense at second base, where he won two Gold Gloves while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.