Orioles Claim Former Top Prospect Pitcher Off Waivers
The Baltimore Orioles added some high-velocity bullpen depth, claiming right-hander Yosver Zulueta off waivers from the Chicago Cubs and optioning him to Triple-A.
No corresponding move was necessary, as Baltimore had an open spot on its 40-man roster.
A Lot of Stuff, Not Much Control
Zulueta is a hard thrower who racks up strikeouts, and his ground-ball numbers are pretty encouraging, with a 55.4 percent grounder rate this season and a 54 percent mark over his brief major league time.
The issue, as it has been throughout his career, is command.
The Orioles claimed right-hander Yosver Zulueta off waivers from the Cubs and optioned him to Triple-A.
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) June 28, 2026
Zulueta, 28, can hit triple digits with his fastball and he has some gaudy strikeout numbers in the minors. He is a project, however, with a 7.54 ERA in Triple-A this year.
If Zulueta can deliver even average control, the recipe is there for him to become an effective reliever in the big leagues.
The Orioles will become the fifth organization to try and unlock that potential.
The Long Road
Zulueta, 28, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2019, then lost significant development time to a brutal run of injuries.
He spent 2020 recovering from Tommy John surgery during the pandemic-canceled minor league season, then tore his ACL three pitches into his professional debut in 2021, costing him that entire year.
He recovered to rise quickly through Toronto's system in 2022, climbing from Single-A to Triple-A and jumping from the 19th-ranked prospect in the organization to third overall on the Blue Jays' top-30 list for 2023.
#orioles claimed RHP Yosver Zulueta off waivers from the Chicago Cubs and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) June 28, 2026
Since then he has bounced from Toronto to Cincinnati, where he made his MLB debut on June 25, 2024, to Seattle, and then to the Cubs on June 15 of this year, before landing in Baltimore.
He holds a 1-0 record with a 5.32 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP across 19 career MLB outings.
His strikeout rate in Triple-A this season dipped to 21.4 percent, a step below his career norms, but the velocity and ground-ball profile remain the reasons teams keep taking a shot.
Zulueta will report to Triple-A Norfolk as bullpen depth, with the potential to factor into Baltimore's relief picture if he can harness the control that has eluded him to this point.
