Right-hander appears has reached an agreement with the Baltimore Orioles, as he announced on his Instagram account. The 28-year-old has been searching for a new team since the Astros released him last August, and his deal with Baltimore is likely a minor league contract.
His only major league appearance in 2024 came on April 3, when he pitched a scoreless inning in Houston’s 8-0 win over the Blue Jays. He was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land the following day, where he struggled, posting a 6.50 ERA and an alarming 23.9% walk rate over 36 innings. These control issues led to his designation for assignment and eventual release during the summer.
Command problems have increasingly hindered Dylan Coleman’s performance in recent seasons. While his walk rates were manageable early in his career with the Padres’ farm system, they became more of an issue even during his best MLB stint. In 2022, he posted a strong 2.78 ERA over 68 relief innings with the Royals, though warning signs such as a .247 BABIP and a 12.8% walk rate suggested some regression was possible.
That regression hit hard in 2023, as Coleman struggled to an 8.84 ERA over 18 1/3 innings with Kansas City, along with a 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 Triple-A innings. His walk rates soared to 19.8% in the majors and 21.8% in the minors, prompting the Royals to trade him to the Astros in December 2023.
Coleman’s fastball once reached 98 mph when he debuted in 2021, but his velocity dipped to an average of 95.7 mph in Triple-A last season. Even so, he still possesses a lively fastball and has consistently generated high strikeout numbers, including a 24.2% strikeout rate over 93 2/3 career MLB innings. Given his past success, the Orioles are taking a chance that he can rediscover his 2022 form if he can rein in his control.