On June 28, 2024, the Baltimore Orioles signed 34-year-old right-hander Burch Smith to a minor league contract.
After appearing twice for Triple-A Norfolk and putting together two scoreless innings, Baltimore would select his contract in a corresponding move to right-hander Dillon Tate being optioned.
So, who is Burch Smith, you might ask?
Well, for starters, Smith had a pretty glamorous college career. Attending Howard College, Smith’s team won the 2009 NCJAA National Championship in a season in which he went 4-0 with a 3.05 ERA.
In 2010, Smith would win the Western Junior College Athletic Comference Pitcher of the Year after posting an 11-2 record with a 2.50 ERA. This was enough for him to hear his name called by the then-Cleveland Indians in both 2009 (49th round) and 2010 (20th round). However, Smith would not sign either time.
For his junior and senior years of college, Smith transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where he would become an All Big-12 honorable mention.
After being selected for a third time, this time by the San Diego Padres in Round 14 of the 2011 MLB Draft, Smith finally signed and would end up making his big league debut on May 11, 2013, against the Tampa Bay Rays. It never really panned out for Smith in San Diego, as he posted a 6.44 ERA in limited innings before being shipped to Tampa Bay in December of 2014.
From there, Smith became a journey man, not being able to find a home on a big league roster until the New York Mets selected him in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and immediately shipped him to the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations.
Smith was no better in Kansas City, with an ERA still sitting above six, and through his 2018-2020 years, he would have stints with three new teams: the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics.
His only real success here would be with the A’s where he posted a 2.08 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched in 2019 and a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings pitched in 2020. The A’s would give Smith another chance in 2021, but after a 5.40 ERA, they wound up designating him for assignment.
Smith’s major league career once again came to a halt, and he’d be forced to spend 2022 in the NPB with the Saitama Seibu Lions. In 2023, he would sign with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO, but his season would be cut short due to a strain in his throwing shoulder.
Despite this, the Rays would sign Smith again to a minor league contract before sending him to Miami in a trade with the Marlins.
In his return to big league action, Smith would appear 25 times for the Marlins, posting a 4.25 ERA with 23 strikeouts across 29.2 innings. After being designated for assignment one final time, Smith would finally land in Baltimore.
Brought in to help an exhausted bullpen, the San Antonio native has been everything GM Mike Elias could have asked for. His fastball has shown life, reaching 98 mph, and he’s been able to put away hitters, striking out 13 in 10.2 innings of work, good for a 2.53 ERA.
It’s obviously a small sample size, but it’s possible that Smith has figured something out and can be a huge addition to a Baltimore bullpen that so desperately needs him during the stretch run.
What are your thoughts on Burch Smith and the role he’s going to play for this team? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like RJ’s content? Follow him on X – @blaw690
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment