Austin Wynns Enters Orioles’ Catching Picture

Rather than let their catching depth take another hit, the Orioles added Austin Wynns to their 40-man roster in order to protect him in the Rule 5 draft.

Wynns, who will be 27 in 2018, is deemed by the Orioles as ready to serve in a backup capacity in the majors, making him a potentially attractive Rule 5 selection by another team.

The defensive aspect of Wynns’ game brings the greatest appeal, including his ability to handle a pitching staff. His value grew this season when he hit .281/.377/.419 with 10 home runs in 105 games at Double-A Bowie. He could compete for a backup job with the Orioles in spring training or position himself as the next man up at Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles’ catcher depth chart has thinned because veterans Francisco Pena and Audry Perez are minor league free agents.

Wynns appeared in big league camp last year, but he reported late due to an ankle injury sustained while playing in the Dominican League. He made another favorable impression on manager Buck Showalter, bench coach John Russell—who also serves as catching instructor—and roving catching instructor Donnie Werner.

“I’ll tell you the guy who’s really come on is Austin Wynns,” Showalter said in June. “Donnie was real upbeat about him. You see the things he’s doing offensively this year, (and) if you look back and really look at it closely, this isn’t that big of a jump for him offensively. You’ll see him catching in the major leagues at some point for somebody, maybe us.”

Veteran catcher Welington Castillo declined the $7 million option on his contract and entered the free agent market, opening the door for top position prospect Chance Sisco to break camp with the team in a timeshare with Caleb Joseph. Castillo’s return likely would have pushed Sisco to Norfolk and removed an available spot.

“What helped me was going to the (Dominican Republic), getting reps and getting at-bats,” Wynns said. “Just keep playing and keep grinding. It put me in a good spot and I learned a lot.”