Overview
- Heston Kjerstad cleared outright waivers Monday and is now a free agent after the Orioles removed him from the 40-man roster.
- Ryan Mountcastle had his $7.5 million 2027 team option declined, which makes him a free agent after injuries limited him to eight games in 2026.
- Baltimore made several other roster moves, releasing Leody Taveras, Yohel Pozo and Dietrich Enns and extending a qualifying offer to Trevor Rogers.
- Both Kjerstad and Mountcastle fell short of draft-day expectations because of repeated injuries and weak big-league production, with Kjerstad hitting .217/.280/.359 in his MLB career and missing time to myocarditis and a hamstring strain.
- Kjerstad’s clearing of waivers signals limited market interest and makes a minor-league deal the most likely next step for him while a possible MLB labor pause could slow where and when either player signs.